Prime Minister Mark Carney will "play an active role" in setting the agenda for Ottawa’s new AI advisory council. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office says the new group, announced Friday, will take an "all of government" approach to advising on AI. The advisory council includes AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio, as well as a experts in economics, business and AI. The government already has an advisory council housed at Innovation Canada, which the spokesperson says is more focused on technical advice to the minister. The Liberal government has also launched a new advisory council on AI and labour, which held its first meeting Monday. The government also launched a separate advisory council on AI and culture in March. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2026. _By Anja Karadeglija | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

The annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival is almost here! For 23 years, the Heart of the City Festival (HOTCF) has been grounded in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and focused on listening and learning from the community's cultural practices. The festival works with, for and about the Downtown Eastside community to carry forward the community’s stories, ancestral memory, cultural traditions, lived experiences and artistic processes — illuminating pathways of resilience. This year’s theme, “Belonging,” celebrates the experience of being seen, heard, respected and valued for who you are. At the festival, belonging is something created together; it’s the sharing of stories, laughter, grief and joy. The theme __ highlights that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect. The HOTCF, presented by **Vancouver Moving Theatre** in association with **Carnegie Community Centre** , features over 100 arts and cultural events, including music, poetry, theatre, ceremony, films, dance, readings, forums, workshops, discussions, gallery exhibits, art talks, history walks and more. Here are a few highlights in the upcoming 2026 festival, which runs Oct. 30 through Nov. 7. • **Electric Company Theatre** ’s new play, _**Epigone**_ , is a modern myth about complicated grief, stigmas of addiction and society’s responsibilities to the dead. In a rundown mobile home on the outskirts of a small northern town, an epic tale about a pair of siblings trying to escape a labyrinth built of shame and secrets unfolds. __ The brother’s mission is to save his sister; the sister’s mission is to save the world at a time of plague and widespread fear. The festival is hosts a two-week run at the **Russian Hall.** **•** Three spectacular video installations have been created by **The Circle Project** , a Vancouver-based association of artists and people with lived experience of incarceration committed to creating provocative art. Produced in collaboration with artists **Adad Hannah** and **Jin-me Yoon** , the installations are stimulating riffs on classic theatre that invite us to reimagine justice. • **Indigenous Exhibition** , hosted by Two-Spirit Grass Dancer **Larissa Healey** and Pow Wow Dancer **Pavel Desjarlais**. • _**Life at OPS**_**,** a collection of videos by **Nathaniel Canuel** aimed at raising awareness about the importance of the **Overdose Prevention Society**. • **Marita Michaelis** ’ _**Live in Hell**_ , a comi-tragic solo show featuring a self-obsessed she-devil who confronts her own iconoclastic celebrity status as the ultimate scapegoat. • _**From the Archives of Sid Chow Tan**_**,** new selections from legendary Downtown Eastside documentarian and organizer **Sid Chow Tan**(1949 – 2022), with videos compiled by Sid's collaborator, **Byron Peters.** **• Theatre Terrific** ’s gripping adaptation of Orwell’s masterpiece, _**1984 Again**_ _._ **** Festival events take place throughout the DTES. Many performances and screenings are free. For the full schedule and more information, visit heartofthecityfestival.com _Copyright 2026, Megaphone Magazine. All rights reserved._ _Jodi Smith, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Megaphone Magazine._

It starts with Benny’s Market in Strathcona — a neighbourhood gathering place where different communities, cultures and generations cross paths. For longtime journalist Christopher Cheung, it’s places like this which offer clues to how a neighbourhood takes shape, and where its boundaries really lie. So how do you define a community? Where do you draw the boundaries of a neighbourhood and who gets to decide where they fall? Those questions run through Cheung’s latest book, _Very Vancouver: Uncovering the Soul of a West Coast City_ , released August 4. The book explores 15 mostly East Vancouver places, interspersed with reflections on Cheung’s life since he began reporting for the now defunct _Vancouver Courier_ in 2014. A well-loved former reporter for both _The_ _Tyee and Metro_ , Cheung finally hung up his press hat in 2025 to teach journalism at BCIT. _Very Vancouver_ is Cheung’s second book, following _Under the White Gaze: Solving the Problem of Race and Representation in Canadian Journalism_. In this newest absorbing read, Cheung does not hesitate to challenge our perceptions of neighbourhoods such as Chinatown, Greektown and Little Italy. In his view, it is the diasporas themselves — whose histories have made these neighbourhoods what they are — that should be able to define the boundaries of their communities. **Megaphone:** **There are a lot of books about Vancouver. Can you share a bit about how** _**Very Vancouver**_**came to be? ** **Christopher** **Cheung:** When you’re a reporter, there is the daily stuff, which is just for the moment, but then, once in a while, we’re afforded the chance to write a story that might have a longer shelf life. I feel like, for all the stories in this book, there are always people who go back to them again and again. So I had always known that I was going to do this book. I was just waiting for the moment when I had collected these 15 stories. Then I could put them together, and they would be in conversation with each other. The [book’s] editor, Jen Sookfong Lee, who is a wonderful writer in her own right, had reached out to me a couple of years ago. She told me, “I’m an editor now, and if you ever want to do a project together, let me know.” So I brought her the whole package. We spent about two years combining stories, re-interviewing people and working through the editing process. **Megaphone:** **It is a really good design, with the short and the long segments alternating. Was there an influence for that?** Oh yeah! I was very conscious about structure. I loved reading books of mythology as a kid — books with self-contained chapters. C.S. Lewis’ _Voyage of the Dawn Treader_ , in the Narnia series, was a favourite. I started collecting origin stories. How did the cement lions [on the First Narrows Bridge] come to be? How did the Vancouver Special come to be? The Binners who show up in your alley or visit you in the park…? So I wanted the book, cover to cover, to explain these varied phenomena. There are also larger-than-life characters, like the Baklava Man — a politician from Syria turned street vendor — and the Sunrise Tofu family, who became tofu makers for the whole country [and also own Sunrise Market]. I wanted people to see that when you look at the cover of _Very Vancouver_ , it doesn’t have the images you would typically see on some of the books on the shelf, where you have the skyline, the bike paths and the beaches. **Megaphone: In your book, you take us to some so-called “hidden treasures.” Can you explain why this language is so problematic? ** I find language interesting, because a lot of these places, particularly on the East Side of Vancouver, are either missing from mainstream media or misrepresented. Why do we call something a “hidden gem”? Why do we call it a secret story? Often, the people are poor or from an immigrant background, so it seems quirky. When you read these stories, I don’t want you to have that distance. I wanted it to be an anti-tourism book about Vancouver and about locals’ voices. So wherever I can, I step back and let the people themselves tell their stories. **Megaphone:** I**t seems like looking for community is a theme throughout the book. How would you summarize what you’ve found? ** The word “soul” is in the subtitle. You might think I’m covering the soul of Vancouver, but I’d like to pose that question to the reader. First, what is the Vancouver that’s portrayed to the world? A world-class city, lots of real estate, aspirational and all that. I like that everyone in this book is looking for a place to put down roots and make something. **Megaphone:** **Speaking of making something. I wouldn’t recommend reading this book when you’re hungry. You really show an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the various foods you are describing, including how they are made and tricks of the trade. And there are a lot of them. ** I always wanted to write a book that included food. My dad, as a pharmacist, had a lot of clients who were old school. We would get Portuguese bread, Eastside folks would come over post-war, and we would get tiramisu and homemade wine from the Italian customers. The Cantonese ones, who worked at restaurants, would greet us in the restaurant. My mom worked a lot on the West Side and would be given pre-packaged things from overseas. So sharing food, and sharing with the people who prepared it, was always very exciting to me. _Christopher Cheung’s words have been lightly edited for clarity and flow._ _James Witwicki was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and moved to Delta and later Burnaby in the early 1970s. He has been living in the Downtown Eastside for more than 15 years. James is a prolific writer and has been published numerous times in Voices of the Street. He stays active in the community through his volunteer work at Strathcona Vineyard Church and works as a copy editor for Megaphone magazine as part of The Shift._ _Amy Romer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter works as a mentor for Megaphone's The Shift in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The Shift is made up of a diverse group of individuals with lived experience of poverty, who are reporting from the DTES instead of being reported on._ _Copyright 2026, Megaphone Magazine. All rights reserved._ _James Witwicki with Amy Romer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Megaphone Magazine._

Parents and school trustees are raising concerns about the provincial government’s Student and Family Support Offices, following the province’s announcement last month that the offices would be expanded to all school boards across Ontario. Anjali Rego, a mother of two with children attending school in Mississauga, is one of those parents. She said that last December, after losing her child-care spot following a school transfer, she sought assistance through the Student and Family Support Office. “I contacted the Student and Family Support Offices … My outreach to them was very simple … I didn’t really get any support from them and I haven’t asked them for any more support,” said Rego. Rego said the only response she received was an automated message. “I got an automated reply from them. That was it.” Rego said that before the province placed the PDSB under provincial supervision, the issue was something she would have taken to her trustee. She didn’t contact her trustee in this case because she believed the trustee’s powers had been diminished under provincial supervision and would not be able to effectuate real change. ## Public may be unaware of offices Rego said the offices have not been adequately publicized. “A lot of people don’t know about it … The school hasn’t let us know, ‘hey there’s this new thing.’ ” Leah Rosolak, a parent with children attending school under the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, also said that she and the vast majority of parents she knows within the board were unaware of the offices. Last month, the provincial government launched Student and Family Support Offices at all Ontario school boards with the stated goal of helping families address unresolved education issues amid concerns about the diminishing role of elected school trustees. This measure, the province said, is intended to provide families with an additional way to navigate complicated issues and receive additional supports they might require. Families are directed to first raise concerns with the school and principal. Then, if they feel the issue necessitates further action, families could submit an inquiry to the Student and Family Support Office where the matter will be brought to the appropriate staff member. In a media release last month, Education Minister Paul Calandra said, “Parents should have a clear and consistent way to raise concerns and get answers when it comes to their child’s education.” ## School boards under supervision Initially, the offices were only in effect at eight school boards placed under provincial supervision in 2025 and 2026, including the Peel District School Board and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. David Green, PDSB chair and trustee for Brampton wards 1 and 5, has been critical of the offices, questioning whether they can provide meaningful and timely support. “While parents may continue to reach out to trustees, concerns will still need to be referred to the designated office for review and action. As a result, families could face longer wait times before receiving answers or solutions to their concerns,” said Green. The province says the offices are not meant to replace existing processes. John Fraser, MPP and Liberal education critic, said the extent to which the offices are an additional avenue rather than taking on responsibilities previously held by trustees “remains to be seen.” “If you take a look at the way the government has legislated changes … to trustees and governance, it’s diminishing the role of trustees even beyond those boards that they put under supervision,” said Fraser. “If the government was going to work with trustees as another level of governance and that was the direction they’re going in, I’d say this (the Student and Family Support Offices) looks like something additional … But that’s not the way this government works,” added Fraser. ## Trustees still being contacted The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association said trustees are still regularly contacted by people in their communities, even those in supervised boards. The Ministry of Education did not respond to a request for comment. Brad MacDonald, PDSB trustee, called the expansion “a terrible solution.” MacDonald believes recent provincial legislation weakened trustees’ role and shifted responsibilities to the offices. After PDSB supervision, parents increasingly directed concerns to the supervisor or director, creating a need for another complaint channel. “Let’s put it this way, they eliminated trustees,” said MacDonald. He questions the offices because they remain within the school board system, unlike elected trustees. “When you just keep it in the same system … it will not solve the problem. That’s why you need someone independent. Trustees are truly independent,” he said. MacDonald argues that remaining within the same system may limit the offices’ ability to effectively address concerns, while trustees can independently advocate for parents. Fraser and MacDonald’s arguments about the role being centralized in the offices echo Green’s feedback. “The decision to place the responsibilities of 12 trustees onto one individual has created confusion, delays, and frustration for both parents and staff. This concentration of authority is causing operational havoc, leaving families without proper representation and leaving staff without the support and oversight they require,” said Green. The issue is not just whether parents have an additional place to submit concerns, he said, but whether the avenue can provide the same representation and ability to remedy issues that parents previously relied on trustees for. “This is what I am hearing while out knocking on doors. Parents across our community are experiencing significant challenges. There is a clear lack of transparency, as calls are not being answered, concerns are not being acknowledged, and parent issues are not being addressed in a timely manner,” added Green. ## Response to parent inquiries The province said 95 per cent of family inquiries at boards where the offices were previously operating were acknowledged within two business days, while nearly 90 per cent received a response within five business days or an estimated response date for complex matters. The province has not clarified what “acknowledged” means or what proportion of inquiries are ultimately resolved. The Ministry of Education said information is collected regularly from all 72 school boards to identify patterns and trends in concerns and improve processes. In Peel, both English-language boards are under provincial supervision, meaning trustees’ role in board administration has been affected and they have less power. Some parents rely on the offices for education matters that previously would have gone to a trustee. Bruce Campbell, general manager of Communications and Community Relations at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, said the board has a more favourable view of the offices as a way to respond to basic parent questions and concerns. Under DPCDSB, Campbell stated, the trustee role is limited exclusively to denominational matters and trustees do not respond to parent inquiries, making the offices the main avenue. “From the board’s perspective, the Student and Family Support Office has proven to be an effective portal through which parents can communicate questions or concerns and receive assistance in navigating board processes,” said Campbell. “The board views the SFSO as one component of a broader customer service approach that includes schools, board departments, and other established channels of communication, all working together to support students and families,” added Campbell. _Copyright 2026, Mississauga.com. All rights reserved._ _Bridget Potasky, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Mississauga.com._

Peu importe si tu écoutes __ Occupation Double religieusement, ou si le contenu de l'émission se fraye à l'occasion une place sur tes réseaux sociaux, difficile de complètement ignorer les moments forts de la téléréalité de _dating_. Comme chaque année, une belle brochette de célibataires font réagir, et parmi les filles d’OD Panama, Emma ne passe pas inaperçue avec sa personnalité de feu. **_À lire également :_** On a stalké Billy d'OD Panama : Voici tout ce que tu veux savoir Si tu veux en savoir plus sur elle, voici ce qu'on a trouvé après une petite fouille sur ses réseaux sociaux ### Emma est Trifluvienne > See on Instagram Emma a 25 ans et elle vient de Trois-Rivières. Elle est moitié québécoise du côté de sa mère et moitié mexicaine du côté de son père. ### Elle travaille comme fonctionnaire > See on Instagram Dans son quotidien, Emma travaille dans la fonction publique. Si elle n'a pas partagé son poste exact, on a quand même trouvé un petit indice sur sa page Facebook : en 2022, elle y a relayé un message sur les défis des préposé.e.s aux bénéficiaires. Est-ce qu’elle a déjà travaillé dans le milieu ou voulait-elle juste montrer son soutien? On te laisse faire tes hypothèses. ### Elle a été cheerleader de compétition > See on Instagram Elle est plutôt discrète sur Instagram, mais on a réussi à y dénicher un souvenir : Emma faisait du cheerleading. Elle a d'ailleurs gagné une médaille au Championnat québécois de Cheerleading 2020 de Canadian Cheer Evolution avec TR Cheer. ### Une de ses amies est une ancienne gagnante d’OD > See on Instagram Et là, on arrive au vrai potin : Emma est une des bonnes amies de Mia, la grande gagnante d’ _OD Andalousie_. Bon, ce n’est pas exactement un secret. Mia était tellement excitée de voir « sa _bestie_ » se lancer dans l’aventure qu’elle n’a pas pu garder ça pour elle. Le 10 août, la veille de la présentation officielle des candidates, les deux amies se sont filmées ensemble juste avant le départ d’Emma. Le lendemain, Mia a mis la vidéo en _story_ sur Instagram en avertissant ses abonné.e.s qu’elle risquait d’en parler... souvent. ### Elle a collaboré avec une marque québécoise > See on Instagram En fouillant son compte, on a aussi vu passer une _collab_ avec Noble, la marque de vêtements de l’influenceuse Noémie Lacerte. Lancée en 2020, l'entreprise québécoise propose des basiques et des pièces uniques vendues en ligne. Petit lien de plus avec _OD_ : Noble a été un des partenaires officiels d’ _OD Andalousie_ , la saison qu’a remportée sa « _bestie_ » Mia! ### Ça fait un bon moment qu'Emma n'a pas eu de relation sérieuse > See on Instagram Emma est célibataire depuis plus de cinq ans! Selon elle, ce n’est pas de sa faute... mais elle avoue qu’un rien peut lui donner le « _ick_ ». ### Sa page Instagram a gagné plus de 12 000 abonnés depuis le début de l'aventure Tu le sais sûrement, participer à _Occupation Double_ , ce n’est pas juste une belle occasion de voyager et de peut-être trouver l’amour. La visibilité que donne la téléréalité aide aussi les candidates et candidats à se bâtir une vraie présence sur les réseaux sociaux. Avec son caractère bien à elle, Emma a clairement su charmer une partie du public. Elle compte maintenant plus de 14 000 abonnés sur Instagram en date du 2 octobre 2026, alors qu’elle en avait moins de 2 000 lors du premier dévoilement de la cohorte en août dernier. Reste à voir jusqu'où l'aventure la mènera…

Quebec's main party leaders are delivering their final messages to voters ahead of Monday's provincial election. Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says this election is all about bringing change to the province after eight straight years of Coalition Avenir Québec rule. Polls suggest his party is the front-runner, but St-Pierre Plamondon is urging his volunteers and supporters to make one last push to undecided voters in the campaign's final 24 hours. The PQ leader's rivals, meanwhile, are warning voters against choosing a party that has promised to hold a sovereignty referendum before the end of its first term in government. Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette says her party is the only one that offers an alternative to the province's sovereigntist-federalist dichotomy, by focusing on nationalism and economic growth within Canada. Liberal Leader Charles Milliard is describing his party as the only federalist option, and is urging voters who want to avoid a PQ government to vote strategically for his candidates. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard zeroed in on the Parti Québécois pledge to hold a sovereignty referendum as he rallied the party faithful on the last full day of the provincial election campaign. Milliard delivered the message at a Quebec Liberal campaign office in Sherbrooke, Que., next door to the riding of Orford where he is running for a seat in the provincial legislature. The Liberal leader says the sovereigntist PQ is his main rival to form the next government. He says the Liberals are the only party on the ballot that can be counted on to defend Canadian federalism. Earlier in the day, he urged voters who want to stop the PQ from forming a government to strategically vote for the Liberals. Quebec voters head to the polls on Monday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2026. _By Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette expressed some regret as she made her final appeal to voters in the provincial election campaign. At a campaign stop in Shawinigan, Fréchette said she should have spent more time warning about the consequences of a referendum on sovereignty promised by Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. Fréchette warned that St-Pierre Plamondon's plans could create economic uncertainty, almost immediately after the election if the PQ forms a government, as expected. She reiterated that she wants to remain the leader of her party regardless of the outcome of Monday’s vote. Fréchette also said her own platform was focused on reducing the cost of living, improving public services and protecting Quebec’s economy and identity. Fréchette was scheduled to spend part of the last hours of her campaign going door-to-door in the central Quebec riding of Trois-Rivières, where she is running for a seat in the legislature. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

The Halifax Tides and Calgary Wild played to a 0-0 draw Saturday in the Northern Super League as the Tides continued to jockey for the league's fourth and final playoff spot. The draw pushed the Tides (7-11-5) into a tie for fourth with defending league champion Vancouver Rise. The Rise visit AFC Toronto on Sunday. The Montreal Roses, Toronto and Ottawa Rapid have claimed three of the four playoff spots in the women's professional soccer league. The Tides have two matches remaining in their regular season. Calgary (4-14-5) will finish outside the playoffs. Halifax goalkeeper Alina Toth and Calgary counterpart Sarah Keilty-Dilling produced clean sheets for their respective clubs at Wanderers Grounds. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

When I first moved to Canada from Ukraine, shopping at Winners was a completely new concept to me, and I was immediately hooked. As someone who loves hunting for the best deals, having so many brands, styles and categories under one roof felt like a gold mine. **** Back in Ukraine, finding high-quality brands often meant visiting multiple boutiques or markets. At Winners, I could browse designer clothing, shoes, bags, luggage and accessories all in one place, often for much less than I'd expect to pay elsewhere. Over the years, digging through those packed racks has turned me into a true bargain hunter. For me, shopping at Winners isn't just about spending less. It's about spotting the items that are genuinely worth buying — from designer finds and winter essentials to travel gear and everyday accessories — without overpaying. After countless trips through the aisles, I've learned which sections I always check first and where I think the best value is. So, grab your cart — these are the top Winners finds I actually think are worth your money. ### Travel gear and suitcases Suitcases are easily one of the best buys at Winners, especially if you want something durable without paying full retail price. The selection is usually strong, with brands like Roots, Bugatti and even official Air Canada luggage, including carry-ons designed to meet standard airline size limits. My personal favourite is Samsonite. It's a well-known luggage brand in Europe, and after working as a flight attendant for nearly a decade, I've seen firsthand how well it holds up under frequent travel. That's what makes finding Samsonite at Winners such a good deal: you're getting a suitcase built to last, but often for much less than you'd pay elsewhere. If you're replacing old luggage or have a trip coming up, this is one section I'd always check before buying somewhere else. **Price:** From $59.99 ### Shoes and boots The shoe section at Winners is another great place to score major deals, but hesitation can cost you. Sizes move fast, and if there’s only one pair left, you can sometimes snag an even bigger discount. The variety is always worth a browse. You can find durable options from brands like Timberland, Columbia and UGG, alongside casual sneakers from Nike, adidas and Converse. If you're lucky, you might even spot a pair of Hunter rain boots — a practical find for Canada's slushy, muddy seasons. If you see your size on the rack, don't wait too long. **Price:** Leather boots from $89.99 ### Coats and winter jackets If you want to get ready for a Canadian winter on a budget, Winners' outerwear section is a gold mine. Late fall and winter are my favourite times to check the racks — that's when you can find parkas from Canadian brands like Moose Knuckles and Pajar, alongside outdoor favourites like The North Face, Columbia and Helly Hansen. I also regularly spot lightweight puffers and wool-blend coats from Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. I especially get excited when I find Levi's shearling-lined jackets. Back home in Ukraine, Levi's is considered quite expensive, so I'm always surprised by how accessible and affordable it can be here in Canada. The best part is the price. Finding a designer coat for between $79 and $129 feels pretty surreal when that's close to what you'd pay for a decent bathrobe! **Price:** From $79 ### Statement hats I was never a big fan of hats back in Ukraine — I'd just squeeze my head into my coat hood and pretend I wasn't cold. But Canada changed my mind. Now I love wearing hats to stay warm and instantly elevate an outfit, and Winners is one of my favourite places to look for them. The selection is huge, from cozy knit hats and berets to casual caps, and you can often find stylish, warm options without spending much. It's an easy place to pick up an accessory that feels a little more special without paying full price. **Price:** From $19 ### Handbags If you love designer bags, the handbag section at Winners can be a dangerous place for your wallet — in the best way. I'm always surprised by the brands that turn up, from Coach and Kate Spade to Karl Lagerfeld and Guess, often for much less than you'd expect to pay elsewhere. What makes this section especially worth checking is the variety. You can find everything from structured work bags and crossbody styles to smaller evening bags, so it's a good place to look if you want something that feels polished without paying full designer prices. Some even come with little extras, like a keychain or scarf wrapped around the handle, which makes them feel a bit more special. The stock changes constantly and there's often only one of each style, so if you spot something you love, I wouldn't wait too long to decide. **Price:** From $39 ### Accessories Winners is also worth checking for smaller wardrobe basics that can be surprisingly expensive elsewhere. Finding a good-quality two-pack of tights at a reasonable price can feel like a rare win, and Winners usually has plenty of options to choose from. While you're there, don't skip the glove section. Leather gloves are one of my favourite hidden gems in the store, especially during fall and winter. They can make an outfit feel much more polished, but you can often find them here for far less than you'd pay at a department store. **Price:** From $14.99 Winners can be hit or miss, but that's also part of the fun. After years of digging through the racks, these are the sections I keep coming back to because they're where I most often find the best mix of quality, recognizable brands and genuinely good prices. If you have the patience to browse, there's a good chance you'll walk out with something that feels far more expensive than what you actually paid. Happy deal hunting! _The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media._

Mounties in Saskatchewan say a woman and two girls are dead, and a man from the United States is facing charges, after a truck trying to pass a semi collided with an SUV. RCMP say they responded to a call for the crash on a rural road near Foam Lake, a small town located southeast of Saskatoon, at around noon on Friday. Three people in the SUV — including the 40-year-old woman driving the car, an eight-year-old girl and a five-year-old girl — were pronounced dead at the scene. Police say a man who was also in the SUV was taken to hospital by helicopter in serious condition, and the semi driver was not injured. The truck driver and a truck passenger were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries while a second passenger, also in the truck, was flown to hospital with serious injuries. RCMP say a 40-year-old man from Sumter, South Carolina, has been arrested and charged with three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm. He is set to appear in court on Monday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Following Ontario’s Big City Mayors’ renewed calls for involuntary treatment for people experiencing severe addiction, Premier Doug Ford told reporters he was open to the idea — drawing political applause but concern from harm-reduction groups. In August 2026, Ontario’s Big City Mayors launched the next phase of their “solve the crisis campaign” called “reaction to recovery” where they have called for a new approach to this issue. Their calls to action focus on expanding timely access to treatment programs, a review of the provincial Mental Health Act and Healthcare Consent Act, the expansion of addiction treatment and rehabilitation programming within provincial and federal correctional institutions, and more. Brampton and its mayor Patrick Brown are among municipalities and local government leaders calling for a re-examination of current mental health legislation to permit compulsory treatment for people experiencing severe substance use and mental health issues. Brown is pushing for Peel to be the site of a provincial pilot. In a Sept. 20 column published in the Toronto Sun, Brown reiterated his call for what he refers to as “compassionate intervention” to support individuals living with severe addictions, concurrent mental health disorders and acquired brain injuries. “We see every day what happens when someone in severe crisis is not able to ask for help themselves,” Brown said in a news release issued in response to Ford’s comments. “This is about connecting people to the care they need, easing the pressure on our emergency services and keeping our community safe,” said Brown. In 2024, Mayor Brown urged the provincial government to consider a pilot project in Peel Region, where a physician could order compulsory treatment if they felt it was necessary for the health of the individual and the safety of others. Brampton City Council unanimously passed a motion formally requesting the provincial government establish the project. However, when it went before regional council it received pushback from other councillors. Brown withdrew the original request and councillors, instead, passed an amended motion focused on voluntary harm reduction services and treatment wait times. ## Renewed calls for provincial action Calls for compulsory treatment from mayors across the province have resurfaced as Ontario continues to see significant drug-related harms. The Office of the Chief Coroner reported 709 suspected drug-related deaths between June and August 2026, a 35 per cent increase from the same period in 2019. Last year, Peel recorded 76 opioid toxicity deaths, 126 paramedic naloxone calls, 924 emergency department visits for suspected opioid toxicity and 247 confirmed emergency department presentations for opioid toxicity, according to the region. ## Harm reduction specialists weigh in Jillian Watkins, the executive director of Moyo Health and Community Services, a Peel organization that focuses on harm reduction, among other issues, has expressed skepticism about the idea of involuntary treatment for drug addiction. “There is some evidence that shows people may be at higher risk of overdose deaths following involuntary treatment,” said Watkins. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), in its February 2025 evidence brief, stated evidence supporting involuntary treatment for drug use was mixed and limited. The report states “research reviews have found that while some studies suggest InvTx (involuntary treatment) can help people stay in treatment programs longer, most do not show significant improvements in reducing substance use.” “In some cases, InvTx has been linked to negative health outcomes, such as increased risk of overdose or death,” the report adds. The CCSA cites a Kisely, Bull and Gill article from 2024 that refers to a study conducted in Massachusetts. The study suggested people who were subject to compulsory treatment were 2.2 times more likely to die from an opioid-related overdose and 1.9 times more likely to die from any cause after compulsory treatment than people who received voluntary care. Watkins stated she believes this is the case because “someone wasn’t in a place where they were ready for treatment. “Putting someone in involuntary treatment and then putting them right back into the circumstances they were in before does not set them up for success,” she said, adding, “there’s a high likelihood of returning to drug use and then being at a much higher risk for overdose.” However, Brown, in his opinion piece, stated involuntary treatment would not replace ongoing care. Rather, it would serve as an intervention for people who are unable to seek treatment themselves, with long-term treatment and support being an integral part of the process. ## Ongoing support after treatment needed Concerns remain about whether adequate support will be available when people complete treatment and return to the community. “There’s not enough places for people who want voluntary treatment, let alone involuntary treatment… The system is not set up for something like that to work,” said Watkins. Peel reported shelter demand exceeded capacity in 2025, requiring 205 overflow hotel spaces, a 14 per cent increase from 2024. The region also identified a “lack of deeply affordable and supportive housing” for people experiencing mental health and addiction challenges. Brown, in his column, called for increased provincial supports on this issue as well as a pilot with a high medical threshold, regular assessments and aftercare for patients, while protecting individuals’ rights and treating them with dignity. _Copyright 2026, Mississauga.com. All rights reserved._ _Bridget Potasky, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Mississauga.com._

There's something about playing with the Toronto Argonauts that agrees with Adarius Pickett. The five-foot-11, 195-pound linebacker leads the CFL in defensive tackles (92), total tackles (103, with 11 on special teams) and defensive plays (120). Pickett also has three sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and six tackles for a loss. Back in 2023 during his first stint in Toronto, Pickett was the East Division's top defensive player after establishing career highs in defensive tackles (105), special-teams tackles (19), total tackles (124) and sacks (six). "I'm just doing what I'm coached to do, enjoying myself in the process and trying to be the same sparkplug for my teammates," Pickett said Friday. "Just come out there with the energy for the defence and lead them guys. "I really enjoy playing here. I have a great time." Toronto (9-6) hosts the B.C. Lions (8-6) on Saturday afternoon. The Argos have clinched a home playoff game and remain — mathematically at least — in contention for first in the East Division. But the Montreal Alouettes (11-3) would clinch top spot — and host the East final Nov. 7 — with a Toronto loss to B.C. and a home win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7) on Saturday night. Pickett, 30, isn't the only Argos defensive player enjoying a solid campaign. Middle linebacker Isaac Darkangelo — given the unenviable task of replacing veteran Wynton McManis (now in Hamilton) — is second overall in defensive tackles (90) and total tackles (96) and third in defensive plays (100). Defensive lineman Shawn Lemon, 38, is tied for third in sacks (eight in nine games) just ahead of teammates Ralph Holley (six) and Jonathan Kongbo (five). Defensive back Benjie Franklin is tied for fifth in takeaways (five) and sixth in interceptions (four). Toronto also leads the CFL in sacks (37) and fewest TD passes allowed (21). "I feel like we have a tremendous team at every level," Pickett said. "I'm just trying to do my part to make sure I can help those guys keep playing well." One reason why Pickett returned to Toronto following two seasons in Ottawa was to reunite with defensive co-ordinator Greg Quick. The gregarious Pickett, affectionately dubbed The Party Starter, began his CFL career with Montreal (2021-22), and Quick was his position coach there. "Coach Quick understands how to utilize me," Pickett said. "He moves me around and puts me in different positions, so I can't be keyed on in one spot." But Pickett said the ability of Toronto's defensive front to pressure opposing quarterbacks also helps. "That impacts the game in a major way," he said. "You've got guys who're getting to the ball, getting to the quarterback, and that makes my job easier. "Now they can't just key on me. When they do, someone else is free." Pickett's play has put him squarely in the conversation for the CFL's top defensive player award. Predictably, though, he dismissed any talk regarding individual achievements. "People talk about them (awards) but my job, and why they brought me here, is to help lead the team," Pickett said. "That's more important than anything else. "I think individual accolades come with team success." A fact not lost upon Toronto head coach Mike Miller. “For him, it’s all about winning and that next play," Miller said. "He’s definitely a process-driven guy, and we’re blessed to have him. “He’s just an experienced veteran leader who plays this game in a very physical way and just wears his passion to play this game on his sleeve." Toronto Argonauts' Adarius Pickett (6) tackles Calgary Stampeders' Dedrick Mills in Calgary on Thursday, July 2, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Of more importance to Pickett is helping Toronto finish its regular season strong and maintain that in the playoffs. "Continue getting better as we head into the playoffs and just win," he said. "That's the biggest goal from the team's perspective. "I know if I'm playing how I've been playing, I can contribute to winning." On Saturday, Toronto faces B.C. for the second time this season. Back in August, the Argos earned a 26-12 victory in Vancouver. Lions starter Nathan Rourke didn't play then, but the CFL's outstanding player and top Canadian last season will suit up Saturday. B.C. comes in leading the CFL in total offence (428.5 yards per game) and second in both rushing (117.6 yards) and passing (326.3 yards). "He does a good job of going through his reads quickly, getting the ball out of his hands pretty fast," Pickett said of Rourke. "He extends plays; he's a dual-threat quarterback." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2026. _By Dan Ralph | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Vancouver police say a driver has been arrested after his pickup truck crashed into a nursing home, split in half and then burst into flames. Police say the crash happened at Renfrew Street and East 22nd Avenue at around 1:30 a.m. Friday. They say a witness reported his vehicle was struck by a grey GMC Sierra heading southbound, which then veered off the road and crashed into the nursing home. Police found the vehicle engulfed in flames and say the driver and his passenger were taken to hospital for treatment. The 34-year-old driver was then arrested for dangerous and impaired operation of a motor vehicle and received a 90-day driving ban. Police say no one from the nursing home or the other vehicle was hurt and are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact them. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Police in Kelowna, B.C., are investigating after the victim of an alleged kidnapping escaped and asked for help. Kelowna RCMP say their serious crime team has taken over the case since police were initially contacted Monday by a person reporting "suspicious circumstances." Police say they responded to a home and found the person who said they were kidnapped in the Lower Mainland and taken to Kelowna against their will. The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Police say it's believed the victim was not involved in criminal activity but was taken in an effort to "exert pressure on an associate." Investigators then searched another home in the same area on Tuesday, where one man was detained before being released pending further investigation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Michael J. Fox says the state of the Canada-U.S. relationship is "sad" and "pointless" but he believes ties between Americans and Canadians on the "human level" remain strong. "It's really sad. It's so pointless. And I have to tell you, it doesn't reflect the opinions or the attitudes of virtually any Americans I meet outside of this little cabal of political reactionaries," Fox told The Canadian Press. "Americans and Canadians still have the same relationship they've always had, no matter how much you try to ratchet it up with the trade war and stuff. It's not filtering down to the human level." The actor and activist joined 50 other people in Ottawa on Friday for an Order of Canada ceremony. Fox, who was invested as an officer of the Order of Canada in 2010, was promoted to the companion level. In an interview with The Canadian Press following the ceremony, Fox was asked for his thoughts on Canada-U.S. relations. Fox, who maintains dual citizenship, was born and raised in Canada but moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to pursue his acting career. He received U.S. citizenship in 2000 and continues to live in the United States. Canada and the United States have been locked in a bitter trade war since shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House almost two years ago and began imposing new tariffs which Canada says violate the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. Trump has repeatedly mused about making Canada a U.S. state and has threatened to use "economic force" to make it happen. He has mocked Prime Minister Mark Carney and his predecessor Justin Trudeau with the title "governor." The tensions escalated in August when attempts to solve some outstanding trade irritants broke down before a Trump-imposed deadline to impose a new round of tariffs targeting $28 billion in Canadian goods. Canada retaliated with tariffs of its own, and the Trump administration further responded with outright import bans on some Canadian goods. The president also signed an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America, and said this week he was teaching Canada a "little lesson." Fox said people need to distinguish between the Trump administration's actions and the attitudes of ordinary Americans. "It's really important that we realize where it's generated from. And it's not the guy who you used to buy bourbon from across the line," he said. "It hasn't risen to the level of animus, or contention. It's purely this guy throwing mud at the wall and seeing if it slides or sticks. And it's sliding mostly, now." Fox said he hasn't paid close attention to Ottawa's actions in the trade war but appreciates the "reaction, fighting back and standing firm," Fox said. "Like I said, from a distance … it's frustrating. It's saddening. But I think a lot of change will come in the next couple of years. I think there will be some selective backtracking." Asked whether the Canada-U.S. relationship comes up in his social circles, Fox said, "People are aware of it." "People just come up and they say, 'You believe this guy?' That's all it is. It's just bashing of the president, which doesn't do any good either," he said. "People that know me and know my attitude about being Canadian and my attitude about being American — they both mean a lot to me. So they'll bring it up to me, but they don't take you to a certain level. At a certain level you don't take it that seriously. I don't want to pick a fight, but I mean, come on. "To the extent that it doesn't take anything out of my plate, I might go along with it for a while. But people get tired of it after a while." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2026. _By Nick Murray | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Canadians have revealed the grocery stores in Canada they avoid because of prices, product selection and other reasons. Many discount retailers that you might expect to be go-tos actually made the list of places where Canadians don't shop. Narcity recently posted on Facebook and asked Canadians, "Which grocery stores in Canada do you avoid shopping at?" We received almost 300 comments, and more than 20 retailers have been named by shoppers across the country. So, here are the top three grocery stores that Canadians avoid shopping at: 1. Walmart 2. Loblaws 3. Sobeys Someone told Narcity that they don't shop at Walmart because it's American-owned, and another shopper said they have avoided the retailer for two years. "I used to love them, but lately their prices are always significantly higher than any other grocery store," one Canadian commented about Sobeys. After those top three retailers, Save-On-Foods is fourth, and Metro is fifth in this ranking. Costco, No Frills and Safeway are tied for sixth, and Food Basics is seventh when it comes to grocery stores Canadians avoid shopping at. Someone told Narcity that they avoid going to Costco because the bill always totals $400. Another person commented that they avoid No Frills because it needs a "good bakery and butcher." Then, FreshCo is eighth, and Real Canadian Superstore, Co-op, IGA, Foodland and Zehrs are tied for ninth. Your Independent Grocer, Oceans, Longo's, Maxi, Farm Boy, Giant Tiger, Whole Foods and Thrifty Foods aren't the top-ranking retailers on this list, but each store got a few mentions in the comment section. Some people said they don't avoid any grocery stores because they have to shop at multiple retailers to find the best prices. One person commented that they go where the "best deals" are. "With the prices now, I essentially shop at any store that has flyer items I can afford," another person said. Also, many Canadian shoppers told Narcity that they avoid all American-owned retailers and the grocery stores that have the highest prices. **READ NEXT** : The most expensive grocery stores were ranked and Loblaws isn't in the top three _This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only._

The British Columbia Green Party has named former chief coroner Lisa Lapointe as the party's candidate in the riding of Saanich South on Vancouver Island. Leader Emily Lowan announced Lapointe's candidacy as the party unveiled its toxic drugs policy on Thursday. Lowan says the overdose crisis kills many British Columbians each day, and front-line workers bear the brunt of a "politicized" system that has failed to solve the problem. She says Lapointe and the party will "put an end to the failures" behind the crisis that has killed thousands of people since the province declared a public health emergency in April 2016. Lapointe says the crisis can only be solved when politicians are willing to show leadership, when voluntary treatment and regulated alternative drugs are available, and when those who use drugs have the same access to resources as anyone else. She will go up against the NDP's Richard Zussman, a former TV journalist turned lobbyist, and the Conservatives' Cathie Ounsted, who served on the Central Saanich Police Board and the board of directors of the Victoria Airport Authority. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

The Supreme Court of Canada will look into whether an Ontario court had jurisdiction to impose a statutory freeze on cryptocurrency in an alleged fraud case. Three Nigerian citizens are accused of defrauding a person in Canada of about $65,000 in bitcoin. The Ontario attorney general applied for orders to restrain and manage the virtual currency, allegedly held by corporate entities that operate as cryptocurrency exchanges. Investigators traced the bitcoin to accounts held by one of the corporate entities, Nest Services Ltd., which had a head office in Seychelles. In December of last year, the Ontario Superior Court said some of the requested restraint and management orders should be granted. Nest Exchange Ltd. — as Nest Services is now known — as well as Binance Canada Capital Markets inc. and Binance Canada Ltd. then applied for a hearing at the Supreme Court. The top court, following its usual practice, gave no reasons Thursday for agreeing to hear the matter, and no hearing date has been set. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026. _By Jim Bronskill | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

The Manitoba Labour Board says medical testing workers with Dynacare are to be classified as essential workers in the event of a strike or lockout. The board, in a written ruling Thursday, said it accepts the province's argument that testing, while routine, can have major ramifications on everything from cancer diagnoses to strokes. The decision states that in the event of a strike or lockout, core functions like lab testing, home visits and mobile collections must continue. “The board has concluded on the basis of the evidence presented that essential services must be maintained,” it said. Dynacare's 23 locations in the province provide about half of blood sampling services and 40 per cent of lab testing. More than 350 workers went on strike in early September only to have the province secure an interim order from the labour board to send them back to work the next day. The company and union still need to hash out what an essential services agreement will look like on top of existing contract talks. The union has been pushing for higher wages, saying its workers earn 20 to 50 per cent less than counterparts in the public system. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026. _By Ian Bickis | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Improvement is necessary, says Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy, as the NHL team embarks on its final season in the Saddledome. In what will be a season of "lasts" in the 43-year-old arena, the Flames' last home-opener at the Saddledome is Thursday against the Seattle Kraken. The Flames will move across the street to Scotia Place next year. Conroy, entering his fourth year as Calgary's GM, was a busy man in his third. When a team that came within a point of the playoffs in 2025 started 1-8 and wasn't tracking to get that close again, the GM accelerated a youth movement he'd begun after his promotion from assistant GM in 2023. "The goal was always we want to be on the upswing when we get to the new building and a lot of that's the young players," Conroy said Wednesday in the Saddledome's lower bowl. "We've traded a lot of veteran players out and we have a lot of faith in the guys that are here. We do want to take a step this year. "We want to see, myself, the fans, the city, everybody wants to see us going in the right direction, on the upswing." The Flames were the lowest-scoring team in the NHL last season — only the Philadelphia Flyers' power play was worse — and finished outside the playoffs a fourth straight year. Conroy said Calgary's 20-somethings — specifically mentioning Matt Coronato, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Matvei Gridin, Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil and Adam Klapka — need to increase production. "We need them all to kind of take a step and show us where the scoring is going to come from," Conroy said. The 55-year-old has spent more of his life inside the Saddledome than most people. Just over half of his career 1,009 NHL games were played in a Flames' jersey during the forward's two stints in Calgary between 2000 and 2011. Conroy was part of Calgary's run to the Stanley Cup final in 2004 when the Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. He was an assistant GM for Calgary for nine years before his promotion three years ago. So Conroy feels sentimental about a building where he's spent the bulk of his professional hockey career. "When I come out before anybody's out here and you're just sitting looking around, I know the four seats that my wife had with the kids when I played," he said. "It does bring a lot of emotion and I think the guys feel it too to some degree too. "The guys know it's the last season here. They want to play well here. They want our fans to come and have an unbelievable experience, if you get to come to all the games or you get to come to one game. We want to be competitive and win here and have them leave saying, 'wow, I'm excited about this team moving forward.'" **Goalie plans** Dustin Wolf is Thursday's starter against the Kraken, but head coach Ryan Huska says he feels more confident inserting Devin Cooley into a game than he did a year ago. "There isn't a hesitation to go to Cooley like we had last year because a little bit of the unknown," Huska said. "The way he played over the course of the year, we don't have any hesitation in going to him. "That internal competition between both guys is something that's really important. Now, are we planning it being an even split? No, we're not, but if one guy gets hot and rolling, that guy's going to play." Wolf, the runner-up for the 2025 NHL rookie of the year, went 23-29-3 last season with a 3.01 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. Cooley's record was 10-10-6 with a 2.69 g.a.a and .909 save percentage. "I didn't necessarily have the trust in Cools to start the year and we used Dustin too much," Huska said. "Now we have full confidence in both guys, so there aren't going to be situations where we feel like we're going to overplay one or the other." **Calgary's captains** Mikael Backlund continues as captain a fourth straight season, with Jonathan Huberdeau and Zach Whitecloud his alternates, the Flames announced Wednesday. Huberdeau is sidelined to start the season as the 33-year-old recovers from March hip resurfacing. That alternate captaincy will rotate between Farabee, Jake Middleton and Ryan Strome during Huberdeau's absence. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2026. _By Donna Spencer | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

The federal government has identified "anti-Zionism" as a driver of anti-Jewish hate — a major policy shift that has prompted a range of reactions. The change took place on Sept. 24 when Public Safety Canada published a progress report on federal efforts promised in January to combat antisemitism. The report said Ottawa sought to do a better job of recognizing and responding to "contemporary manifestations of antisemitism, including anti-Zionism." Here's a closer look at the terminology, why it's being used now and what it all means for free speech. **What is Zionism?** The Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines Zionism as "a movement originally for the re-establishment and now the development of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel." The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which identifies itself as a Zionist organization, says it means supporting the idea that "the Jewish people have the right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland." Opponents of Zionism argue the term has come to embody a colonial mentality that allows the Israeli government to subjugate Palestinians and seek to expand its borders. The State of Israel was declared founded in May 1948, after the end of British rule over Palestine. The founding of the state saw Zionist paramilitaries violently disperse Palestinians who were living there, while Arab states around the region responded by deporting Jews to Israel. Carleton University political scientist Mira Sucharov surveyed American Jews on their views of Zionism and anti-Zionism in 2022. "Self-proclaimed Zionists (Jewish or otherwise) and anti-Zionists (Jewish or otherwise) are talking about completely different things," she wrote in a commentary in Haaretz. She concluded that Jews embrace Zionism when it's defined as "a belief in a Jewish and democratic state" and reject the term when it's defined as "the belief in privileging Jewish rights over non-Jewish rights in Israel." **What is anti-Zionism?** For decades, Jews in Canada and around the world have debated how Israel should operate and whether it amounts to a colonial project. Independent Jewish Voices identifies as an anti-Zionist organization. It defines anti-Zionism as "the rejection of Jewish settler-colonialism in Palestine and belief that Palestinians deserve dignity and safety like all other people." The Association for Canadian Studies offered its own definition, which has prompted criticism from left-leaning groups. "Anti-Zionism refers to a movement that calls for the erasure of Israel and denies the Jewish people the right to self-determination in part of their ancestral homeland," the association wrote in a report Ottawa commissioned. The Network of Engaged Canadian Academics, a group of mostly Jewish academics, argues "the latest incarnation of Jew hatred is anti-Zionism (which) relies on libel and distortion to claim that the Jewish collective, Israel, rather than the individual Jew, is uniquely evil." That ideology, the group argues, claims Jews have fabricated a claim to their ancestral land. "Anti-Zionists dismiss Jews as nefarious settlers who have usurped the rights of the true Indigenous people, Palestinians," the group wrote in a brief to senators. Since the Gaza war started in October 2023, many Canadian Jews have reported that words like "Zionist" have become pejorative terms. Some have reported Jewish people being branded with Zionism-linked slurs such as "a Zio." The war started with a brutal Hamas attack on Israel that killed roughly 1,200 people. That prompted Israel to launch an assault on Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and has led to repression in the occupied West Bank. Israel also has expanded its military footprint in Lebanon and Israeli cabinet ministers have talked openly of ethnic cleansing or mass killings of civilians. A woman holds up her hands covered in red paint to represent blood, during a march for Gaza rally in support of Palestine in Toronto, on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey **What has Ottawa said?** Last week's federal progress report said anti-Zionism is a modern manifestation of antisemitism. It cited a 2024 government report, though that report did not mention anti-Zionism. The report also took note of a Windsor man sentenced in April for public incitement of hatred after he used the term "Zionists" as a derogatory term for Jews. "This is particularly important because Ontario is increasingly seeing the use of this term by protesters who try to shield otherwise hateful speech from criminal liability," the federal report said. The Senate human rights committee avoided weighing in on the terminology in its April study of antisemitism in Canada. Committee chair Sen. Paulette Senior said the focus of the study was on how to stop the hatred. Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks as he participates in the lighting of the menorah at City Hall in Ottawa to celebrate Hanukkah and show solidarity with the Jewish community in the aftermath of a deadly shooting at an event in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang **What do proponents say?** Groups that advocate for Israel such as CIJA have generally been supportive of the government's shift, and have argued that Jewish Canadians are the ones to describe how they experience antisemitism. "Anti-Zionism is driving violence against Canadians," CIJA wrote in a tweet before the release of the federal report. "The demonization of Israel offers a green light for extremists who target the Jewish community. This includes when governments single Israel out or hold it to a double standard." Liberal MP Anthony Housefather welcomed the federal shift. He said last week's report is "an important document" that "makes clear the Canadian government recognizes that anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism." University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist was also supportive, writing that "Anti-Zionism is too often thinly veiled antisemitism, as if substituting the word Zionist for Jew renders the unacceptable acceptable." A man fixes the lock on the doors of Congregation Beth Tikvah as police investigate alleged arson at the synagogue in the suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux in Montreal on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi **What do opponents say?** Independent Jewish Voices says Ottawa is embracing terminology that will suppress free speech. "This definition isn’t only wrong, it’s dangerous," the group wrote. The group refers to Zionism as "a Jewish supremacist ideology" that is incompatible with Palestinian self-determination because it encourages occupation and suppression. The Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council took a similar view of Ottawa's change last week. "Conflating opposition to Zionism with hatred or discrimination against Jewish people risks collapsing the important distinction between political expression and antisemitism," the council wrote. The council is one of several organizations which have rejected a definition of antisemitism adopted by the federal and provincial governments that was written by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The IHRA definition says criticism of Israel can cross the line into antisemitism when it is persistent, when it compares Israeli policies to Nazi ones, and when it goes beyond criticism levelled at other countries. The Ottawa Forum on Israel Palestine argued no one should conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Jewish hate. "The Government of Canada should make it clear that supporting Zionism or opposing it are equally protected by free speech," the group wrote in a brief to senators. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2026. _By Dylan Robertson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Quand les garde-robes débordent ou que chaque centimètre compte dans un petit appartement, les solutions de rangement supplémentaires sont toujours les bienvenues. Encore faut-il trouver quelque chose de pratique, qui ne prenne pas trop de place et qui ne coûte pas les yeux de la tête. Apparemment, pas besoin de dépenser une fortune pour mieux organiser ton espace à la maison. Dollarama propose un porte-vêtements mobile à seulement 5 $, avec des roulettes, des crochets et même un rangement pour les chaussures. Sur le papier, ça semble presque trop beau pour être vrai, mais qu’en est-il une fois le meuble assemblé? **_À lire également :_** 16 des meilleures trouvailles et nouveautés au Dollarama à moins de 5 $ ce mois-ci Malheureusement, bien que Dollarama vend maintenant plusieurs produits du genre, il n'y a pas de meuble de démonstration à examiner en magasin. On a donc décidé de mettre ce porte-vêtements à l'épreuve pour voir s'il vaut la (petite) dépense. Un porte-vêtements est vendu chez Dollarama pour seulement 5 $.Claudia Chrétien | Narcity Québec ## Le meuble et son assemblage D'abord, il faut savoir que le meuble est vendu dans une boîte contenant 19 morceaux, tous en plastique noir. Si tu as déjà assemblé un meuble IKEA, tu remarqueras une certaine ressemblance dans le principe, mais en beaucoup plus simple. Ici, pas de tournevis à chercher ni de petites vis à trier : toutes les pièces s'emboîtent les unes dans les autres. Le plan d'assemblage du porte-vêtements mobile vendu à 5 $ chez Dollarama.Claudia Chrétien | Narcity Québec Chronomètre en main, il n'a fallu que sept minutes pour tout assembler, à partir de l'ouverture de la boîte. Le seul petit obstacle a été de comprendre que certaines pièces devaient être tournées après avoir été emboîtées afin de bien les solidifier. Une fois cette particularité maîtrisée, le montage s'est poursuivi sans problème. Le porte-vêtements mobile du Dollarama. Claudia Chrétien | Narcity Québec Une fois sur pied, le porte-vêtements mesure 68 centimètres de largeur, 38 de profondeur et 148 de hauteur. Son format étroit permet de l'installer dans un coin de la chambre, près d'une garde-robe ou même dans une petite salle de lavage, sans nécessairement encombrer la pièce. Malgré ses dimensions compactes, la barre supérieure offre suffisamment d'espace pour accueillir une dizaine de cintres sans que les vêtements soient coincés les uns contre les autres. Le meuble compte aussi quatre crochets, deux de chaque côté, pour suspendre des sacs, des foulards ou d'autres accessoires qu'on ne sait jamais trop où ranger. Dans le bas, deux barres horizontales permettent de déposer des paires de chaussures ou de petites boîtes de rangement. C'est un détail pratique pour profiter de l'espace sous les vêtements au lieu de le laisser inutilisé. Ce petit meuble pourrait notamment trouver sa place dans une chambre pour préparer les tenues du lendemain ou regrouper les morceaux que tu portes régulièrement. Il peut aussi servir de support d'appoint pour faire sécher des vêtements fraîchement sortis de la laveuse, à condition de ne pas y accrocher de linge trop lourd. Comme il est particulièrement léger, tu peux facilement le changer de place selon tes besoins. Ses quatre roulettes pivotantes roulent sans trop de difficulté, et deux d'entre elles sont munies de freins pour éviter que le support se déplace lorsque tu veux le garder au même endroit. Le porte-vêtements mobile du Dollarama.Claudia Chrétien | Narcity Québec ## Vaut-il vraiment le détour chez Dollarama? C'est toutefois sur le plan de la stabilité que son petit prix commence à se faire sentir. Bien que la structure soit assez solide pour soutenir plusieurs vêtements légers, elle devient plutôt chambranlante lorsqu'on tente de la déplacer avec trop de morceaux suspendus. Mieux vaut donc ne pas la surcharger et ne pas compter sur elle pour accueillir une collection de gros manteaux d'hiver. Pour les personnes qui cherchent un rangement temporaire, le fait qu'il puisse être démonté aussi facilement qu'il s'assemble constitue également un avantage. On peut ainsi le ranger lorsqu'on n'en a plus besoin et le ressortir à l'occasion. À titre comparatif, le portant RIGGA d'IKEA est vendu à 29,99 $. Celui-ci possède aussi des roulettes et un espace de rangement inférieur, mais sa structure en acier est plus imposante et sa hauteur est ajustable. Il ne s'agit donc pas d'un produit identique, mais il donne une idée du prix d'une solution de rangement semblable chez un autre détaillant bien connu. Au final, le porte-vêtements du Dollarama ne remplacera certainement pas une véritable garde-robe ni un support conçu pour de lourdes charges. En revanche, pour 5 $, c'est une solution intéressante si tu cherches à organiser une partie de tes vêtements, à libérer de l'espace dans tes placards ou à aménager temporairement un coin de rangement. Son assemblage rapide, son poids et ses différentes possibilités d'utilisation compensent largement ses quelques faiblesses, pourvu qu'on respecte ses limites. Une petite trouvaille qui pourrait s'avérer particulièrement pratique dans les appartements où l'espace se fait rare. _Ces prix sont confirmés au moment de la publication, mais ils peuvent changer à tout moment. Les taxes et les frais ne sont peut-être pas inclus._ _Les opinions exprimées sont celles de l'auteur ou l'autrice et ne reflètent pas nécessairement la position de Narcity Media sur le sujet._

Alberta's Premier Danielle Smith says her government will bring in legislation later this year to crack down on illegal garbage dumping. Smith says there's a growing trend of people leaving their trash on roadways, farms, private property and public lands. She says too often perpetrators face light fines, and says the legislation will reverse that. The legislation will allow for up to $100,000 in fines for individuals, $1 million in penalties for corporations and, in extreme cases, jail terms. Smith's United Conservatives are also pledging to strengthen oversight of higher-risk waste transfer and storage facilities by requiring operators register with the province. The premier says that last year in Calgary alone, there were 30,000 complaints related to illegal dumping, but the city issued just 165 tickets and three fines. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

A study suggests young Canadians are more likely to feel hopeless about democracy than older residents. The Statistics Canada study found about a quarter of respondents aged 25 to 44 were "not at all hopeful" about how democracy works in Canada, while those 65 and older were more likely to feel very hopeful than not. The vast majority of those 15 and older were a little or somewhat hopeful about the way democracy works in the country. The study used data from a survey series from 2022 to 2024 that asked people about democracy, their confidence in institutions and information, as well as their voting behaviour. It comes as three major votes are set to be held in Canada in October, with provincial elections in Quebec and British Columbia and a referendum in Alberta. The Prairie provinces, including Alberta, had the highest percentage of people who felt no hope at all about democracy, while British Columbia led in the percentage of people who felt very hopeful. The study didn't find a link between faith in democracy and voter turnout. _By Dayne Patterson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the government is making a new $1.2 billion investment in ocean conservation as the country inches toward a decision on a new West Coast pipeline. Speaking in Vancouver today, Carney said the funds will go to several new measures, including an expansion of the Canadian Coast Guard's capacity to monitor marine traffic and a national marine mammal oil spill response plan. Ottawa faces a Thursday deadline to decide whether to designate a proposed pipeline from Alberta to the southern B.C. coast as a project of national interest. Albertans will also head to the polls in a matter of weeks to vote in a referendum on separating from Canada. Carney said that as more ships enter the Port of Vancouver, the government must bolster systems for protecting marine life. Earlier in the day, LNG Canada said it will proceed with a Phase 2 expansion of its facility in Kitimat, B.C., a project that would double its capacity. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2026. _By Brenna Owen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Drug User Liberation Front co-founders Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum will not face jail time, Justice Catherine Murray ruled this morning. Nyx, Kalicum and their lawyers have been appearing before Murray in BC Supreme Court for almost a year, first facing trafficking charges and later in a constitutional challenge. Their ultimate goal has been to push for a novel response to the ongoing public health emergency caused by the unregulated toxic drug supply. Through the Drug User Liberation Front Nyx and Kalicum had provided tested methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin to DULF members at cost. The idea was to allow people with substance use disorders to understand the makeup of the drugs they were taking to avoid overdose and death. “You selflessly put yourselves to the side for this cause and that’s something most people wouldn’t do. For that I applaud you. You should be very proud of yourselves,” Murray said, directly addressing the pair in court as she delivered her judgment. Murray has declared Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act unconstitutional and given Ottawa six months to bring the legislation in line with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As a result of this finding, Nyx and Kalicum’s trafficking convictions have been stayed. If Ottawa doesn’t fix the legislation within the six-month timeframe Murray has mandated, it will no longer be in force. It’s likely the government will apply for more time to fix the legislation, said Tim Dickson, one of DULF’s lawyers, after the judgment was delivered. Dickson said today’s judgment was a “vindication” of what DULF was doing. “The court has declared the prohibition on possession for the purposes of trafficking to be unconstitutional because it violates the Charter rights of individuals who need non-medicalized safer supply to reduce the terrible risks of this toxic drug criss we are suffering under,” Dickson said. **Why DULF was in court** Nyx and Kalicum argued that the law that convicted them both of three counts of trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin was unconstitutional. Because the pair had been selling drugs to compassion club members to reduce harms and fatalities caused by the unregulated drug supply, DULF’s lawyers Tim Dickson, Stephanie Dickson and Kaelan Unrau contended that shutting down the club violated Section 7 and Section 15 of its members’ Charter rights. Murray delivered a judgment today that aligned with this argument. Murray agreed that a non-medicalized safer supply program is urgently needed to save lives and found that DULF had been reducing the harms associated with the toxic drug crisis while having no negative impact on the community or public safety. She also agreed there was no way for a compassion club or non-medical safer supply program to source legal drugs and no legally and practically available safety valves in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to support such a program. She also said Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act was unconstitutional because it prevented a non-medicalized safer supply program from operating during the ongoing toxic drug crisis. This infringed on DULF compassion club members’ rights to life, liberty and security of the person and their right to be treated equally under the law, which are guaranteed under Sections 7 and 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “It’s people like you who make a difference,” Murray told Nyx and Kalicum. “And you just did. So go out and do great things. I have no doubt that you will.” **Starting the Drug User Liberation Front** Nyx and Kalicum met in 2020 and bonded over a shared vision for the future, where no one died after taking unregulated drugs. As of June the unregulated, toxic drug supply has killed at least 19,906 British Columbians since January 2014, according to the latest data from the BC Coroners Service. Nyx and Kalicum wanted people who use drugs to be able to access drugs that had some safety protocols. If people knew what they were taking they wouldn’t have to overdose, Nyx told the court. The pair began buying and testing drugs, and then giving away tested, labelled drugs for free at rallies. They applied for a Section 56 exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act from Health Canada, asking for permission to buy and sell methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin through a compassion club. They were denied. They decided to open a compassion club anyway. At the start of the trial, Nyx told the court she has responded to more than 100 overdoses. “This is a calamity beyond words. This is a horror beyond words. This is a travesty,” Nyx said. “This is gutting my community and killing everyone I know.” The compassion club welcomed 47 members with previous drug use experience. Members could buy pure, tested drugs at cost. There was a limit to how much a member could buy in a week. DULF partnered with Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, which provided funding for DULF to test its drugs, and permission to store, test and package the drugs. Vancouver Coastal Health Authority also provided DULF with office space in the Downtown Eastside, which it used for storage and a storefront for compassion club members. But this partnership did not cover the selling or distribution of drugs. Vancouver Police raided DULF’s office space and arrested Nyx and Kalicum on Oct. 25, 2023. Nyx and Kalicum were both found guilty of three counts of trafficking on Nov. 7. **Launching a constitutional challenge** Two and a half weeks later, DULF launched a constitutional challenge. DULF’s lawyers argued government action violated Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which prohibits the state from depriving people of their rights to life, liberty and security of the person, and Section 15, which says all people must be treated equally and have equal protection and benefit from the law. This case boiled down to the Section 56 exemption DULF had requested from Health Canada. The federal health minister can grant exemptions under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to allow people to violate the legislation in extraordinary cases. DULF lawyers argued exemptions were not practically available. They said that meant the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act violates Charter rights. Crown counsel disagreed and argued the safety valve was available. In her judgment Murray agreed with DULF’s lawyers, saying there was no practical way a non-medicalized safer supply program could get a Section 56 exemption. Ottawa will now have to figure out a way to make sure such a safety valve exists in practice. The Crown has 30 days to appeal Murray’s decision. **Like ‘a gun always at the back of your head’** Throughout the charter challenge DULF lawyers called 14 witnesses to help explain why DULF chose to open an unsanctioned compassion club. The compassion club ran what is known as a non-medical safer supply model, where interacting with a doctor is not required to access drugs. This model is recognized by B.C. experts as a solution to the crisis’s catastrophic death toll. The BC Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control took five years to try and figure out a way to develop a non-medical model, but in the end weren’t able to find a legal way. Other experts, including Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, and experts for two death review panels convened by the province’s chief coroner, have called on the province to explore a non-medical safer supply model. So far the province has declined to do so. Instead the province offers a medical model of safer supply, where a patient gets a prescription from a doctor to use pharmaceutical drugs. This model is extremely limited and only a fraction of the people who could benefit from it can access it. TJ Felix, who is Secwe̓pemc and uses they/them pronouns, testified about why the services B.C. currently offers to respond to the unregulated toxic drug crisis didn’t work for them. Using drugs from the unregulated market feels like “a gun always at the back of your head,” but withdrawal from opioids feels “like every nerve ending exploding. It’s like you’re being dragged through a bed of nails,” they said. “It’s indescribable, horrific and painful. You’d do anything you could to avoid it.” DULF offered stability because members didn’t have to worry about withdrawal or the danger of the unregulated supply, Felix told the court. Felix said sometimes they would share drugs they had bought from DULF with loved ones. After seeing a loved one fatally overdose “many times,” Felix said they’d do anything to try and separate their loved ones from the unregulated drug supply. Giving drugs to someone other than the person they were prescribed or sold to is known as “diversion.” Politicians critical of safer supply, such as MLA Elenore Sturko, say the risk of diversion outweighs the benefits offered by the program. But diversion from safer supply programs is minimal at best, testified Lisa Lapointe, who worked as B.C.’s chief coroner for 13 years. Only three per cent of the Dilaudid dispensed in B.C. in 2024 was for the safer supply program, with the other 97 per cent dispensed for reasons unrelated to safer supply, such as for pain management, Lapointe said. Patients prescribed Dilaudid for pain do not have to take their medication in front of a pharmacist or provide urine tests to their doctor. It’s also not clear if Dilaudid pills seized in police drug raids are actually diverted pharmaceuticals or if they’re unregulated knockoffs, Lapointe said. In 2023 the Vancouver Police Department said Dilaudid made up 0.3 per cent of all drugs seized that year. DULF is also awaiting the decision in a judicial review where they asked a judge to review Health Canada’s decision to deny them permission to buy, test and distribute unregulated drugs in the name of harm reduction. _Copyright 2026, The Tyee. All rights reserved._ _Michelle Gamage, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Tyee._

The Montreal Alouettes shored up their defensive line Tuesday, acquiring veteran American Julian Howsare from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The two teams made the move ahead of the CFL trade deadline of 4:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Montreal also secured a 2027 seventh-round pick from Hamilton. Earlier in the day, Montreal (11-3) signed veteran American defensive lineman Dylan Wynn. Wynn had spent the last two seasons with the Alouettes before attending the Ottawa Redblacks training camp in May. Hamilton acquired a 2027 fifth-round pick from Montreal for Howsare, who was the East Division's top defensive player last season. The Ticats (4-11) were officially eliminated from playoff contention following last week's 37-35 overtime loss to the Edmonton Elks. Montreal hosts the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-7) on Saturday night. “We just acquired an all-star player who is capable of giving opposing offences a hard time,” said Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia. “Julian knows the league, and we are extremely pleased to have acquired his services. "This type of player will be valuable to us in the coming weeks as we enter the final stretch of the season.” The six-foot-three, 255-pound Howsare had 32 tackles (one for loss) and four sacks in 15 games this season with Hamilton. The 34-year-old recorded a career-high 13 sacks, 43 tackles one interception and two forced fumbles in 2025 for the Ticats. Howsare had seven of his nine CFL seasons with Hamilton. He rejoined the franchise in 2025 after spending two campaigns with the Calgary Stampeders. “Julian Howsare has meant a great deal to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, both as a player and as a person,” Orlondo Steinauer, Hamilton's president of football operations, said in a statement. “Across two stints with our organization, Julian gave us everything we asked of him and more, and was a true professional in every sense of the word. "We have tremendous respect for Julian and know he’s going to do great things in his next chapter.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Alberta's government says it will launch this fall a formal request for private companies to submit a proposal for a high-speed rail system that would connect Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. Premier Danielle Smith says Ottawa has agreed to refer the project to its major projects office once a proponent has been selected. Smith says the proponent would be selected by April 2027. Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, who represents an Edmonton riding, says Ottawa is prepared to work with Alberta on the project. She says the work will include speaking to Indigenous communities, municipalities and the public to understand the costs, benefits and effects of a high-speed rail system. Smith says the railway service would also include stops at Alberta’s two largest airports. "Statistics Canada's most recent population data shows that Alberta is growing faster than every other province in 2026 and the Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton region is home to roughly 80 per cent of Alberta's population," Smith told a news conference in Calgary on Monday. "That increasing demand is creating a greater need for modern transportation infrastructure to keep people as well as services moving efficiently." Prime Minister Mark Carney's government established the Calgary-based major projects office last year to speed along infrastructure deemed in the national interest. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Family members of the victims of a weekend helicopter crash in Quebec said their loved ones were celebrating a birthday before the tragedy struck. Four people died after their helicopter crashed in Ste-Brigide-d'Iberville, 50 kilometres southeast of Montreal, said provincial police on Saturday. "A helicopter ride that was supposed to celebrate my wonderful mother's birthday turned into a tragedy that I never could have imagined," wrote Océane Perreault on social media. "Lives can be altered in a fraction of a second. We never know when it might be our turn." She lost her mother, Chantal Raymond; her brother, Loucas Perreault; and her partner, Gabriel Jasmin, in the crash. The pilot, Suzanne Jutras, was also among the victims. Océane Perreault and Jasmin have a one-year-old daughter. “On Sept. 26, a part of my world flew away to heaven,” wrote Perreault. “I have no words to describe the pain, the shock and the emptiness I feel. Three people I love more than anything are gone far too soon, right before my eyes.” Jasmin was a radio host for a Bell Media station in Quebec's Eastern Townships region. The FM radio station, Énergie 106.1, shared the news of Jasmin's death on Sunday in a social media post. The station offered its condolences to Perreault, the couple’s daughter and Jasmin’s family, friends and colleagues. Martin Perrault, Raymond’s husband, remembered his spouse of close to 40 years on social media. "We built a life, a family and so many memories together," he wrote. He expressed his pain at losing his son — “my pride, my successor” — and his son-in-law — “an extraordinary father, attentive and loving.” “I miss you all so much already,” he wrote. In posts and comments, Jutras was remembered as a passionate and talented pilot. “Thank you for lifting us into the air with your kindness,” wrote Les Félixeries, a festival in the nearby Centre-du-Québec region, in a Facebook post remembering its “favourite pilot.” Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said his department was monitoring the situation and would appoint an observer to follow the investigation. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy,” he wrote on X. The investigation was ongoing Monday, said a spokesperson for provincial police, who did not provide further details. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada told The Canadian Press in an email Monday that investigators were on-site over the weekend and were still gathering information. The Quebec coroner’s office is also looking into the events leading up to the deaths, a spokesperson said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2026. _By Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

An Alberta country music singer wants more from Elections Alberta after a letter was leaked by former workers who raised concern about how the Water, Not Coal petition was validated. "It sort of verified that what we had heard from our lawyers was consistent with what they were saying," said Lund. The letter, which Great West Media obtained a copy of, was addressed to the provincial Standing Committee on Legislative Offices and was signed by five former Elections Alberta workers who noted various procedures and policies were changed throughout the validation process. "This included the criteria used for determining whether individual signature lines were valid. It was becoming increasingly apparent that the project was in jeopardy of meeting the time limit requirements as set by legislation, as the validation processes kept changing," wrote the former employees. The letter goes on to say the former employers felt disrespected and believed they were being treated unprofessionally. "We had concerns whether the process was being completed in a fair, equitable, and consistent manner with the many daily and sometimes hourly changes to the processes," said the letter. For Lund, who has been campaigning against coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rockies for years, this is a major concern. "Instead of verifying, they were making them regurgitated," said Lund. "And then (Elections Alberta) said they put out a social media post, and on their website, they were going to use caller ID. And in a number of cases, they didn't because we have screenshots proving they didn't. And so basically people are getting calls from a random toll-free number and being asked to provide their personal details in the wake of a huge data breach," Lund said. Lund's petition called for an end to coal mining in the Rocky Mountains and garnered more than 196,000 signatures. However, Elections Alberta concluded the petition had only 172,088 signatures, just short of the 177,000-plus signatures required for verification. "Every time we got a fail, we lost 550 signatures. We ended up losing 24,000 signatures in that process. And we just feel a lot of the criteria that was much more stringent than for every Canada," said Lund. To Lund, the biggest problem is the lack of concern the government caucus demonstrated on this issue. "That's my biggest issue," said Lund. In response, the government caucus said the committee didn't take into account the letter because the staffing issues were the responsibility of Elections Alberta. For its part, Elections Alberta said it followed the processes in place, and that the changes were procedural or due to identified inefficiencies. The non-partisan agency overseeing Alberta's elections also noted it will not be commenting further on Lund's petition, as it is subject to a judicial review. Out of all of this, Lund said it's vital that people are able to trust Elections Alberta. "Elections Alberta can be completely trusted by the public, and if we need to fix some things, we should fix some things," he said. _Copyright 2026, St. Albert Gazette. All rights reserved._ _David Boles, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette._

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith invited and addressed the leaders of the province's municipalities on her government's accomplishments. Smith was the big speaker during day one of the Alberta Municipalities annual general meeting in Edmonton, which is set to run through Friday. The conference comes as the provincial government is about to send voters to the polls for a 10-question referendum, the most prominent of which asks whether voters support remaining in Canada or whether the province should embark on a legally binding process regarding Alberta's status in Canada. Nine of the questions pertain to immigration and constitutional concerns, with those questions and the one on Alberta's place in Confederation to be answered on Oct. 19. Smith noted that people are voting for the second option to give her leverage in discussions with the current federal government. "I think there are better ways to give me leverage," said Smith. "We've got several other questions that are asking for a mandate for Alberta to have more authority to prioritize economic migrants, to ask temporary residents and students to pay a reasonable portion of their healthcare and education costs." The timing of the conference also comes as the province is doubling down on AI data centres, a point Smith acknowledged in her address. "We are happy to work with the coalition of the willing, those municipalities that want to put their hands up and say, 'I think we would like to help the tax base,'" said Smith. Alberta has been moving quickly to position itself as a hub for data centre facilities. One of the more prominent projects is the Meta data centre being built in Sturgeon County, in the Industrial Heartland north of Edmonton. The facility is slated to be powered by a power plant, with electricity supplied via natural gas. Artificial intelligence and the speed at which it's evolving is on the minds of those at the conference. A breakout session at the conference drew a packed room to discuss how AI can transform and drive operations within local government. The man heading that discussion was Kris Andreychuk, the program manager for applied AI at the City of Edmonton. He said he wanted the crowd he addressed, comprising people representing communities from Blackfalds to further north, to know he recognized a theme. "People are hearing about this stuff. They're up against real challenges, but there's limited capacity in cities," said Andreychuk. "There's an opportunity for us to support one another." _Copyright 2026, St. Albert Gazette. All rights reserved._ _David Boles, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette._

The Toronto Blue Jays capped a disappointing season on Sunday afternoon with a 5-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Rogers Centre. Veteran starter Max Scherzer delivered a vintage performance with seven strikeouts over seven-plus innings. Brandon Valenzuela and Charles McAdoo homered for the Blue Jays, who finished last in the American League East Division standings at 79-83. Valenzuela hit a two-run shot in the second inning off Reds starter Brandon Williamson (5-5) and Toronto tacked on two more runs in the third. McAdoo added an insurance run with a solo shot in the eighth inning. Expectations were high for the Blue Jays this year after they reached the World Series last fall. But injuries and underperformance helped prevent a return appearance in the playoffs. The Blue Jays briefly held the final wild-card spot earlier this month but a recent stretch of seven losses in nine games sealed their fate. The weekend interleague series provided a potential farewell for players not under contract next season. Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer throws against the Cincinnati Reds during a Major League Baseball game in Toronto on Sept. 27, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn Scherzer (4-9), who'll decide on future plans in the off-season, tipped his cap to the adoring sellout crowd of 42,131 at the start of the game. He allowed six hits and issued one walk. Designated hitter George Springer, in the final season of a six-year deal, received a standing ovation when he led off in the first inning. Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer salutes the crowd before leading off in the first inning of a Major League Baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Toronto on Sept. 27, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn **TAKEAWAYS** Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had the day off after an eventful week that included an apology for his comments in a recent podcast interview. He was criticized after saying his 14-year, US$500-million contract was for what he had already accomplished in his career, not for what he was projected to do. Reds: Cincinnati (75-87) started the season at 20-11 but struggles in May sent the Reds into last place in the National League Central. They spent all but eight days after that month in the division basement. **KEY MOMENT** Springer got another standing ovation when he was replaced by pinch-runner Sean Keys in the third inning. The spectators rose out of their seats again when Scherzer was pulled in the eighth. **KEY STAT** It was the 61st sellout of the season at Rogers Centre. **COMING UP** If a new labour deal is in place, Toronto will kick off its 2027 regular season on March 25 at New York. The collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the players' association expires Dec. 1. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2026. _By Gregory Strong | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Que le budget soit serré ou non, chaque dollar compte au moment de remplir ton panier. Faire toutes ses emplettes au même magasin à rabais, c’est pratique, mais ce n’est pas toujours le plus avantageux pour le portefeuille. Si tu fais souvent tes achats chez Tigre Géant pour ses petits prix, sache que certains articles du quotidien méritent un deuxième regard, surtout quand les mêmes produits se retrouvent sur les tablettes du Dollarama pour moins cher. _**À lire également : 16 des meilleures trouvailles et nouveautés au Dollarama à moins de 5 $ ce mois-ci**_ Chez Tigre Géant, plusieurs produits ménagers, de soins personnels et de pharmacie, ainsi que quelques collations de marques connues, peuvent sembler abordables au premier coup d’œil. Sauf qu’en comparant les formats, le nombre d’unités ou le prix au 100 millilitres, certaines trouvailles du magasin du dollar finissent par se démarquer. Le plus gros emballage n’est pas automatiquement le meilleur achat, et une petite différence sur l’étiquette peut parfois cacher un écart beaucoup plus important une fois le calcul fait. On a donc mis côte à côte 16 produits de mêmes marques, pour voir lesquels valent vraiment le détour au Dollarama plutôt que chez Tigre Géant. Comme l’inventaire peut varier d’une succursale à l’autre, rien ne garantit que tous les produits seront offerts près de chez toi, mais cette comparaison pourrait bien changer quelques-unes de tes habitudes lors de ton prochain magasinage. ### Nettoyant dégraissant Lysol Prix de vente au Dollarama : 4 $ pour 650 ml Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 4,97 $ pour 650 ml Pour le nettoyant dégraissant antibactérien pour cuisine Lysol Pro, pas besoin de jongler avec deux formats différents : la bouteille de 650 ml est exactement la même dans les deux magasins. Son prix passe toutefois de 4,97 $ chez Tigre Géant à 4 $ au Dollarama, soit près de 1 $ d’écart, ou environ 20 % d’économie. Pour un seul nettoyant, c’est de quoi y regarder à deux fois avant de le mettre dans ton panier. ### Tampons d'acier S.O.S Prix de vente au Dollarama : 2,25 $ pour dix tampons Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 3,47 $ pour dix tampons Côté récurage, les tampons d’acier S.O.S. se vendent dans la même boîte de dix aux deux endroits. Elle coûte 3,47 $ chez Tigre Géant, contre 2,25 $ au Dollarama. Pour exactement le même produit, tu économises donc 1,22 $, soit environ 35 % de moins. ### Désinfectant en vaporisateur Lysol Prix de vente au Dollarama : 4 $ pour 283 g Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 5,97 $ pour 283 g La différence commence à être beaucoup plus visible avec le Désinfectant en vaporisateur Lysol Neutra Air 2 en 1 de 283 g. Il faut débourser 5,97 $ chez Tigre Géant, alors que Dollarama le propose à 4 $. Pour une seule bouteille identique, la facture baisse donc de 1,97 $, soit environ le tiers du prix demandé en moins. ### Dentifrice Colgate MaxFrais Prix de vente au Dollarama : 3,75 $ pour 150 ml Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 4,48 $ pour 150 ml Un essentiel comme le Dentifrice à la menthe fraîche Colgate MaxFrais peut sembler sensiblement au même prix partout, jusqu’à ce qu’on mette les deux étiquettes côte à côte. Pour le tube identique de 150 ml, Dollarama demande 3,75 $ alors que Tigre Géant l’affiche à 4,48 $. C’est donc 0,73 $ qui reste dans tes poches en te rendant au magasin du dollar. ### Gel douche Softsoap Prix de vente au Dollarama : 5 $ pour 591 ml Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 5,48 $ pour 591 ml Changer de fragrance au gré des envies est possible avec le Gel douche Softsoap de 591 ml, offert en plusieurs variantes. Peu importe celle qui se glisse dans ton panier, le prix repéré est de 5 $ au Dollarama contre 5,48 $ chez Tigre Géant. Ce n’est pas la plus grosse économie de la liste, mais pourquoi payer 0,48 $ de plus pour le même produit? ### Éliminateur d'odeurs Arm & Hammer Prix de vente au Dollarama : 4,25 $ pour 700 g Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 5,97 $ pour 700 g Quand un produit revient régulièrement dans les achats pour les animaux, quelques dollars d'économie peuvent rapidement devenir intéressants. L’éliminateur d’odeurs pour tapis chat et chien Arm & Hammer de 700 g est vendu 4,25 $ au Dollarama plutôt que 5,97 $ chez Tigre Géant. Puisqu’il s’agit exactement de la même quantité, tu conserves 1,72 $ simplement en changeant d’enseigne. ### Déodorant Secret invisible Prix de vente au Dollarama : 4,75 $ pour 73 g Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 4,97 $ pour 73 g Plusieurs parfums du Déodorant antisudorifique Secret Invisible de 73 g se retrouvent sur les tablettes, et cette fois, les deux enseignes sont presque nez à nez. Le prix est de 4,97 $ chez Tigre Géant et de 4,75 $ au Dollarama. Seulement 0,22 $ les sépare, mais lorsque tout le reste est identique, il n’y a pas vraiment de raison de choisir l’étiquette la plus élevée. ### Savon à mains Spa Soap Prix de vente au Dollarama : 3 $ pour 1,9 L Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 3,97 $ pour 1,9 L Les grands formats sont souvent synonymes d’économies, mais encore faut-il les acheter au bon endroit. La recharge de savon pour les mains Spa Soap de 1,9 litre en est un bon exemple : elle coûte 3 $ au Dollarama, contre 3,97 $ chez Tigre Géant. Chaque recharge achetée à l’enseigne verte et jaune te laisse donc 0,97 $ de plus dans les poches, soit environ 24 % d’économie. ### Détergent à lessive Tide Prix de vente au Dollarama : 5 $ pour 946 ml, soit environ 0,53 $ par 100 ml Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 14,97 $ pour 1,86 L, soit environ 0,80 $ par 100 ml Une preuve de plus qu’un contenant plus imposant n’est pas forcément synonyme d’aubaine. Le détergent à lessive liquide Tide, au parfum original, coûte 5 $ pour 946 ml au Dollarama, soit environ 0,53 $ par 100 ml. Chez Tigre Géant, le bidon de 1,86 litre se vend 14,97 $, ce qui revient à environ 0,80 $ pour la même quantité. À volume égal, l’option du _Dollo_ est donc environ 34 % moins chère. ### Papier hygiénique Cashmere Original Prix de vente au Dollarama : 2,50 $ pour quatre rouleaux deux épaisseurs Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 9,99 $ pour huit rouleaux deux épaisseurs Le papier hygiénique Cashmere en rouleaux double épaisseur réserve l’une des comparaisons les plus surprenantes de la liste. Quatre rouleaux à 2,50 $ au Dollarama reviennent à environ 0,63 $ chacun, tandis que le paquet de huit à 9,99 $ chez Tigre Géant atteint près de 1,25 $ par rouleau. Même en achetant deux paquets au _Dollo_ pour obtenir huit rouleaux, la facture serait de seulement 5 $, soit presque la moitié du prix. ### Sacs de congélation Ziploc Prix de vente au Dollarama : 4,50 $ pour 14 sacs Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 5,47 $ pour 16 sacs Du côté des sacs de congélation hermétiques Ziploc, l’avantage se joue plutôt à quelques sous. Le paquet de 14 vendu 4,50 $ au Dollarama revient à environ 0,32 $ par sac, tandis que les 16 unités à 5,47 $ chez Tigre Géant coûtent autour de 0,34 $ chacune. Pour l’équivalent de 14 sacs, l’économie tourne autour de 0,29 $, ce qui reste modeste comparativement aux autres trouvailles de la liste. ### Rince-bouche Listerine Prix de vente au Dollarama : 4,25 $ pour 500 ml, soit environ 0,85 $ par 100 ml Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 4,97 $ pour 250 ml, soit environ 1,99 $ par 100 ml S’il y a une comparaison qui mérite de retenir l’attention, c’est celle du Rince-bouche antiseptique Listerine Freshburst. Dollarama vend 500 ml pour 4,25 $, ce qui revient à seulement 0,85 $ par 100 ml, tandis que Tigre Géant demande 4,97 $ pour deux fois moins de produit, soit 250 ml et près de 1,99 $ par 100 ml. Pour une fois, tu obtiens donc deux fois la quantité tout en payant moins cher, avec un prix au volume inférieur d’environ 57 %. ### Baumes à lèvres Nivea Prix de vente au Dollarama : 4,25 $ pour deux baumes Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 4,98 $ pour deux baumes Deux baumes dans le même emballage, mais quelques sous de plus (ou de moins) selon l’endroit où tu les prends. Le baume à lèvres NIVEA hydratant Hydro Soins de 4,8 g en paquet de deux coûte 4,25 $ au Dollarama et 4,98 $ chez Tigre Géant. La bannière verte et jaune prend donc une avance de 0,73 $, ce qui équivaut à près de 15 %. ### Skittles originaux Prix de vente au Dollarama : 2,50 $ pour 170 g Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 2,97 $ pour 170 g Même sac de Skittles Originaux de 170 g, mais pas tout à fait le même montant au moment de passer à la caisse. Tigre Géant le propose à 2,97 $, alors qu’il descend à 2,50 $ au Dollarama. Pour une gâterie qu’on peut facilement racheter, ces 0,47 $ de différence donnent un petit avantage au magasin du dollar. ### Jujubes Haribo Prix de vente au Dollarama : 2 $ pour 150 g, soit environ 1,33 $ par 100 g Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 2,77 $ pour 175 g, soit environ 1,58 $ par 100 g Avec une marque aussi connue que Haribo, un petit calcul permet de voir rapidement quel sac vaut davantage son coût. Les Goldbears coûtent 2 $ pour 150 g au Dollarama, soit environ 1,33 $ par 100 g, tandis que les 175 g à 2,77 $ chez Tigre Géant reviennent à près de 1,58 $ par 100 g. Le paquet du _Dollo_ est plus petit, mais son contenu coûte tout de même environ 16 % moins cher au poids. ### Gâteries pour chats Temptations Prix de vente au Dollarama : 3 $ pour 180 g, soit environ 1,67 $ par 100 g Prix de vente au Tigre Géant : 1,98 $ pour 85 g, soit environ 2,33 $ par 100 g Voilà un bon exemple qui montre pourquoi le prix du paquet ne raconte pas toujours toute l’histoire. Les Gâteries pour chats Temptations Mélimélo coûtent 1,98 $ pour 85 g chez Tigre Géant, ou environ 2,33 $ par 100 g. Au Dollarama, le sac de 180 g est vendu 3 $, ce qui fait plutôt 1,67 $ par 100 g pour ce mélange aux arômes de poulet, d’herbe à chat et de cheddar. _Ces prix sont confirmés au moment de la publication, mais ils peuvent changer à tout moment. Les taxes et les frais ne sont peut-être pas inclus._

En octobre, les citrouilles, les films d'horreur et les sorties d'Halloween prennent pas mal de place, mais il n'y a pas que les activités _spooky_ pour profiter de Montréal. Plusieurs musées, galeries et espaces culturels de la métropole proposent aussi des expositions à découvrir gratuitement, histoire de mettre un peu de culture dans ton automne sans vider ton portefeuille. _**À lire également :**_ _**Un party d'Halloween avec ambiance surnaturelle débarque dans ce lieu iconique de Montréal**_ Costumes inspirés de la mythologie et de la culture populaire, expérience immersive autour de la mousse, peinture contemporaine, photographie, typographie et histoire montréalaise : les sept sorties culturelles de cette liste sont assez différentes pour trouver quelque chose qui pique ta curiosité. **** ### « Devenir mousse » - Sébastien Sauvageau Gratuit : Du 16 octobre 2026 au 21 février 2027 Heures d'ouverture : Du mardi au vendredi de 16 h à 20 h, et le samedi et le dimanche de 12 h à 20 h. Fermé le lundi Adresse : Salle d'exposition de la Place des Arts - 175, rue Sainte-Catherine O., Montréal, QC Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Envie de ralentir un peu au milieu de l'agitation du centre-ville? Cette expérience immersive gratuite transforme la mousse en source d'inspiration pour créer un univers sonore et visuel propice à la contemplation. Pendant une vingtaine de minutes, une composition originale de Sébastien Sauvageau mêle musique, sons et scénographie audiovisuelle afin d'évoquer la lenteur, l'adaptation et la résilience de ce petit végétal. Le concept est assez inusité et te propose surtout de prendre un moment pour écouter et observer ce qui t'entoure autrement. Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes Site Internet de la Place des Arts ### Centre de design de l’UQAM > See on Instagram Gratuit : Jusqu’au 4 octobre 2026 Heures d'ouverture : Du mercredi au dimanche, de 12 h à 18 h Adresse : Centre de design de l’UQAM - 1440, rue Sanguinet, Montréal, QC Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Tu ne portes probablement pas attention aux polices de caractères que tu croises chaque jour, mais cette exposition risque de changer ça. Présentée pour la première fois au Canada, elle rassemble plus de 300 créations typographiques provenant de l’ECAL en Suisse, auxquelles s’ajoutent 138 créations réalisées au Québec. Tu pourras aussi entrer dans une installation immersive à 360 degrés où une trentaine de langues, dont le français, le mohawk, l’atikamekw et l’inuktitut, prennent vie à travers différentes typographies. Une façon originale de découvrir tout ce qui peut se cacher derrière les lettres qu'on utilise quotidiennement. Site Internet du Centre de design de l’UQAM ### « Archétypes » - Émile Brunet Gratuit : Du 28 octobre au 22 novembre 2026 Heures d'ouverture : Du mercredi au vendredi, de 12 h à 19 h, le week-end de 13 h à 17 h Adresse : Maison de la culture Claude-Léveillée - 911, rue Jean-Talon E., Montréal, QC Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Avec _Archétypes_ , l'artiste Émile Brunet transforme des éléments aussi simples qu'un fruit, une branche, un oiseau ou un paysage en tableaux qui laissent beaucoup de place à l'interprétation. Inspirées notamment par la précision des maîtres flamands et la peinture académique, ses œuvres jouent avec la lumière et les détails pour donner une allure presque intemporelle à des scènes contemporaines. Plutôt que de chercher une signification précise, tu peux donc simplement observer les tableaux et imaginer ta propre histoire. Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes Site Internet de la Ville de Montréal ### Musée McCord Stewart > See on Instagram Gratuit : * Le premier dimanche du mois avec la formule « Payez ce que vous pouvez », à partir de 0,01 $, sans réservation * En tout temps pour les 17 ans et moins et les membres des communautés autochtones * Le mercredi après 17 h pour l'exposition _Voix autochtones d’aujourd’hui_ Heures d'ouverture : Le mardi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi et dimanche de 10 h à 17 h, le mercredi de 10 h à 21 h Adresse : Musée McCord Stewart - 690, rue Sherbrooke O., Montréal, QC Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Profite du premier dimanche d'octobre pour explorer ce musée consacré à l'histoire sociale de Montréal en déboursant aussi peu que 0,01 $. Tu pourras notamment découvrir _Voix autochtones d’aujourd’hui_ , qui aborde les savoirs, les traumatismes et la résilience des peuples autochtones, ainsi que _Au menu. Montréal : une histoire de restaurants_ , présentée jusqu'au 18 octobre et consacrée à l'évolution de la scène culinaire montréalaise. Une nouvelle installation de l'artiste Carrie Allison, _askōhtēskanohwē_ ,__sera également à découvrir dès le 30 septembre. Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes Site Internet du Musée McCord Stewart ### Planétarium de Montréal > See on Instagram Gratuit : En tout temps pour visiter les expositions Heures d'ouverture :****Du mardi au mercredi de 9 h à 17 h 15, du jeudi au samedi de 9 h à 20 h 45 et le dimanche de 9 h à 17 h 15, fermé le lundi Adresse : Planétarium - 4801, av. Pierre-De Coubertin, Montréal, QC Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Pas besoin d'acheter un billet pour découvrir une partie du Planétarium! Les espaces d'exposition sont accessibles gratuitement et te permettent de plonger dans l'univers de l'astronomie à travers des bornes interactives, des jeux multimédias, des projections et différentes expositions. Tu peux donc satisfaire ta curiosité pour l'espace et les sciences sans dépenser un sou, même si les spectacles présentés dans les théâtres nécessitent, eux, un billet. Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes Site Internet d'Espace pour la vie ### « Le bal masqué des farfadets espiègles : volet costumes » - Alexandria « Lex » Nassopoulos et Jean-François L. Bibeau > See on Instagram Gratuit : Du 1er octobre au 1er novembre 2026 Heures d'ouverture : Le lundi et le vendredi de 10 h à 18 h, du mardi au jeudi de 13 h à 21 h, le samedi et dimanche de 10 h à 17 h Adresse : Bibliothèque de Saint-Pierre - 183, rue des Érables, Montréal, QC Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Voilà une exposition qui tombe à point pour ajouter un peu de fantaisie à ton mois d'octobre. Le duo d'artistes Alexandria « Lex » Nassopoulos et Jean-François L. Bibeau transforme la bibliothèque avec une sélection de costumes inspirés de la mythologie, du folklore, des classiques littéraires et de la culture populaire. Adeptes de création et de cosplay depuis plus de 20 ans, les artistes utilisent notamment le tissu, le fil, le plastique et le carton pour donner vie à un univers coloré et complètement éclaté. Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes Site Internet de la Ville de Montréal _* Cette image est utilisée à titre indicatif seulement_ ### « Enracinement, quand l’invisible devient visible » - Madeleine Bourgeois Gratuit : Du 2 au 29 octobre 2026 Heures d'ouverture : Le lundi et le vendredi de 10 h à 18 h, du mardi au jeudi de 10 h à 21 h, et le samedi et le dimanche de 10 h à 17 h Adresse : Bibliothèque Saul-Bellow - 3100, rue Saint-Antoine, Montréal, QC Pourquoi tu dois y aller : Cette exposition de la photographe Madeleine Bourgeois te propose de regarder les arbres bien au-delà de ce qui est visible au premier coup d'œil. Ses images dévoilent autant leurs parties aériennes que leurs racines cachées afin de mettre en contraste leur force et leur fragilité. Marqués par les intempéries, les insectes, les catastrophes ou encore l'exploitation humaine, les arbres photographiés deviennent aussi des symboles de résistance et de renaissance. Accessibilité : Accessible aux fauteuils roulants et aux poussettes Site Internet de la Ville de Montréal _Des outils d'IA peuvent avoir été utilisés pour soutenir la création ou la distribution de ce contenu ; cependant, il a été soigneusement édité et vérifié par un membre de l'équipe éditoriale de Narcity. Pour plus d'informations sur l'utilisation de l'IA, nos normes et notre éthique journalistique, veuillez consulter la page Normes Éditoriales de Narcity._ _Ces prix sont confirmés au moment de la publication, mais ils peuvent changer à tout moment. Les taxes et les frais ne sont peut-être pas inclus._

Lorne Doerkson says a future Conservative government in British Columbia under his leadership would not bring in new taxes, if elected on Oct. 24, when British Columbians head to the polls in a snap election called last week. Doerkson, who was campaigning in Surrey, B.C. on Sunday, says in a party statement that Conservatives would end what he calls the B.C. New Democrats "endless tax grabs on working families." The party's interim leader says that "instead of watching their hard-earned money disappear into government spending that hasn't made their lives any better," there "will be no new taxes." The pledge comes after British Columbia NDP Leader David Eby promised on Friday to impose a new tax on unsold condominiums and raise the existing speculation and vacancy tax if his party returns to power. Conservatives say on Sunday that British Columbians have been hit with "one tax grab after another" such as raising the lowest income tax rate to 5.6 per cent from 5.06 per cent and freezing tax brackets through 2030. The party calls that a "quiet tax hike that hits British Columbians every time their pay keeps up with inflation." "British Columbians have never paid more in tax, but nine years of the NDP spending more and getting less means our province has never been further behind," Doerkson said in the party statement. The statement also criticized the proposed -- and since delayed -- expansion of the Provincial Sales Tax of seven per cent to various professional services such as accounting. The Conservatives' tax pledge comes as British Columbia faces a projected deficit of $13.8 billion. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2026. _By Wolfgang Depner | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Ontario provincial police say a 34-year-old woman who was first arrested in May following complaints of theft and fraud at an Orillia hospital is now facing 65 new charges. Police say they identified additional victims and executed several search warrants, and have charged the woman with 36 counts of fraud and 14 counts of theft, among other offences. The charges relate to a slew of incidents at hospitals across Ontario, police say, including Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Centre in Toronto, Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville, Trillium Health Partners' Mississauga hospital, and West Park Health Care Centre in Toronto. Police shared photos of piles of clothes and furniture seized in the investigation. They initially charged the Burlington woman in May with disobeying a court order and making a false statement. The OPP say they believe there may be additional victims and are asking patients, visitors and staff at those hospitals to check their bank statements for unauthorized transactions. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Hector Rodriguez had a two-run triple in the fifth inning as the Cincinnati Reds topped the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday. JJ Bleday had a solo home run in the second inning for an early Cincinnati (75-86) lead. Sal Stewart's fielder's choice scored a run in the third and Eugenio Suarez smashed an RBI double in the next at bat. Rhett Lowder (7-12) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks, striking out two. Connor Phillips, Graham Ashcraft and Tejay Antone came out of the bullpen. Andres Gimenez drove in a run with a groundout in the seventh for the only Toronto (78-83) run. The loss guaranteed that the Blue Jays will finish the season last in the American League East. Starting pitcher Trey Yesavage (5-6) allowed a run on two hits and a walk, striking out three over two innings. Relievers Spencer Miles, Braydon Fisher, John Klein, and Brendon Little followed him to the mound. **Takeaways** Reds: Toronto limited all-star shortstop Elly De La Cruz to just a walk, forcing him to go 0 for 4 at the plate. But Stewart, Suarez and the bottom of Cincinnati's lineup made up for his off day. Blue Jays: Yesavage made just his second start after a lengthy stint on the injured list. The 23-year-old had a limited pitch count and, with only one game left in the season and Toronto eliminated from the playoffs, there was no need to strain his arm. **Key moment** Blue Jays left-fielder Josh Smith knocked himself to the ground after backing into the outfield wall hard, allowing Rodriguez's hit to become a triple. **Key stat** When Klein entered the game in the fifth inning he became the 64th person to play for the Blue Jays this season, a franchise record. **Up next** Max Scherzer (3-9) will start on short rest for the Blue Jays in what could be the final appearance of his 19-year career. The Reds will counter with Brandon Williamson (5-4). This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026. _By John Chidley-Hill | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Four people have died in a helicopter crash in Sainte-Brigide-d'Iberville, 50 kilometres southeast of Montreal, according to provincial police. A spokesperson says police were called to the scene around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. They found the crashed aircraft on fire and later discovered the bodies of the four occupants, who were declared dead at the scene. The provincial police have not yet identified the victims nor the cause of the crash. The spokesperson says the helicopter seems to have been a private aircraft. She says the investigation is ongoing and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent investigators to the crash site. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026. _By Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

I consider myself pretty aggressively Toronto. I'll defend this city against anyone who says it has no culture, happily pay too much for a cocktail and probably have stronger opinions about Toronto restaurants than any reasonable person should. So naturally, I've created a completely unofficial test of how well you know Toronto's food scene: how many of the city's quintessential restaurants have you actually tried? And by "quintessential," I don't necessarily mean the oldest, fanciest or most famous restaurants in Toronto. To me, it's anywhere that represents a little piece of the city itself — its neighbourhoods, cultures, history, nightlife or the way Toronto's restaurant scene keeps changing. Some of these spots have been feeding locals for decades, while others are much newer additions. There's a Michelin-starred restaurant, a late-night bagel institution, a Chinatown staple, a celebrity haunt and, naturally, a King West spot where dinner can turn into the rest of your night. Obviously, eating at any particular restaurant isn't actually a requirement for being a "true" Toronto local — budgets, neighbourhoods and access all look different. Consider this a very unserious Toronto restaurant checklist and an excuse to celebrate 12 places that, to me, capture something about eating in this city. Still, keep score if you want! Here are the 12 Toronto restaurants on my completely unofficial local test. ### Bar Romy > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸💸 **Cuisine:** Italian **Address:** 295 Adelaide St. W., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** Being a Toronto local means getting used to your favourite places disappearing, changing names and suddenly becoming something completely different — and Bar Romy is a perfect example. INK Entertainment replaced longtime Adelaide Street restaurant Figo with Bar Romy in 2026, transforming the former hot spot into a more casual Italian restaurant that shifts from daytime sandwiches to dinner, cocktails and late-night DJs. But there's also a little piece of old Toronto hiding on the menu: the pasta comes from Famiglia Baldassarre. If you've lived here long enough to remember obsessing over its famously hard-to-get weekday lunch service, you'll understand why that matters. It was one of my favourite food experiences in the city, and its closure left a very specific pasta-shaped hole behind. So yes, Bar Romy is new — but that's exactly why it belongs on a Toronto-local checklist. This city is constantly replacing, reinventing and remixing itself, and somehow we're all expected to keep up. Bar Romy Menu ### Quetzal > See on Instagram **Price: 💸💸💸💸** **Cuisine:** Upscale Mexican **Address:** 419 College St., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** If you want to pass the Toronto-local test, at some point you need to have eaten somewhere that reminds you just how ambitious this city's restaurant scene has become — and Quetzal absolutely fits the bill. If you've ever watched one of those videos where Toronto chefs are asked where they actually like to eat, you've probably heard this place come up. That alone tells you something. The College Street restaurant has a Michelin star and centres its menu around live-fire cooking, with a huge wood-burning grill running through the open kitchen. To me, Quetzal represents the side of Toronto dining that's polished, inventive and built for a proper night out. It's not somewhere I'm casually dropping into on a Tuesday, but every Torontonian deserves at least one evening sitting around that fire, ordering too much and feeling extremely sophisticated about it. Quetzal Menu ### The Bagel House > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸 **Cuisine:** Bagels **Address:** 1722 Avenue Rd., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** Every great city needs a bagel institution, and this one is ours. In true Canadian fashion, they're Montreal-style. The Bagel House was opened by Sat Chouhan and Jessie Sahdra, who learned the craft at well-known Montreal bagel shops before bringing that style of bagel-making to Toronto. The bagels are hand-rolled, boiled in honey water and baked in a maple-wood-fired oven, giving them that chewy, slightly sweet texture and charred exterior. For the full Toronto-local experience, go to the Avenue Road location at an unreasonable hour and order a hot sesame bagel straight from the oven. Congratulations — you've just earned another point on the unofficial Torontonian test. Bagel House Menu ### Vinny > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸💸 **Cuisine:** Contemporary **Address:******480 King St. W., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** If your Toronto-local checklist doesn't include at least one glamorous, slightly chaotic night out on King West, are you even doing this city properly? Part restaurant, part vinyl listening bar and part late-night destination, Vinny captures the kind of big-city energy this neighbourhood is known for. This is where you order a martini and spicy vodka rigatoni, take photos in the photo booth, listen to records spinning in the background and let dinner turn into the rest of your night. It's polished, buzzy and just a little over the top — which, frankly, is exactly what I want from King West. Get the photo strip. Stay for another drink. If it's late enough, get a glizzy. Vinny Menu ### The Lakeview Diner > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸 **Cuisine:** Diner **Address:** 1132 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** If Vinny represents new Toronto nightlife, Lakeview is here to remind you what came before it. The Dundas West diner dates back to 1932, making it a genuine piece of Toronto history — and if you've lived here long enough, there's a good chance you've ended up in one of its booths at some point. Even if you've never eaten here, you've probably seen it. Lakeview has appeared onscreen in productions including _Hairspray_ , _Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen_ and _The Shape of Water_. But this isn't some preserved movie set. It's still a late-night destination, whether you're stopping in after a night out or ordering its famous apple-pie milkshake around the holidays. And yes, I can confirm the milkshake is worth it. Toronto changes constantly, but Lakeview has somehow kept its place through decades of it. If we're testing how local you really are, that alone earns it a spot on the list. Lakeview Diner Menu ### Chotto Matte > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸💸💸 **Cuisine:** Japanese-Peruvian **Address:** 161 Bay St., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** If there's one thing every Toronto local understands, it's that some of the city's best food comes from different cultures and culinary traditions colliding. Chotto Matte takes that idea and turns the volume all the way up. The massive downtown restaurant specializes in Nikkei cuisine, blending Japanese and Peruvian traditions. I'd never even heard of Nikkei before walking through these doors, but I'm very glad I did. Think sushi and sashimi alongside ceviche, robata cooking, Peruvian flavours and dishes like lobster udon carbonara. There are DJs. There's a flaming robata grill. The food arrives looking like it knows it's about to be photographed. Is this my everyday Toronto? Absolutely not. But the city's multicultural food scene is a huge part of what makes eating here so exciting, and Chotto Matte is one of its flashiest examples. If you're claiming true Toronto-local status, you should probably experience that side of the city at least once. Chotto Matte Menu ### Sotto Sotto > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸💸💸 **Cuisine:** Italian **Address:** 120 Avenue Rd., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** If you're claiming true Toronto-local status, at some point you need to experience the city's celebrity restaurant lore — and Sotto Sotto has plenty of it. The Yorkville Italian restaurant has been around for more than 30 years and has long been known as a celebrity favourite. Drake famously name-dropped it in his music, but the sightings go well beyond him. My personal favourite Sotto Sotto story comes from my mother, who once spotted Oprah Winfrey there. Frankly, that's a better endorsement than anything I could write. The restaurant itself is intimate, dark and indulgent — exactly what you want from a Yorkville Italian spot where there's always at least a small chance someone famous is sitting a few tables away. For me, Sotto Sotto earns its place on the Toronto-local checklist because it's not just a restaurant — it's part of the city's pop-culture mythology. Sotto Sotto Menu ### Gold Standard > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸 **Cuisine:** Breakfast sandwiches **Address:** 385 Roncesvalles Ave. and 1574 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** I'm not going to give you an elaborate history lesson for this one. Gold Standard makes my favourite breakfast sandwich in Toronto. That's it. That's the entry. It's crispy, cheesy, messy in exactly the right way and one of those Toronto food staples that locals seem to develop very strong opinions about. If you know, you know. And if you don't, consider this another stop you need to check off before claiming true Toronto-local status. Gold Standard Menu ### The Drake Hotel > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸💸 **Cuisine:** Modern bistro **Address:** 1150 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** If there's one place on this list that feels like a crash course in Toronto culture, it's The Drake. The Queen West landmark has never been just a restaurant or simply a hotel. Food, art, music and nightlife all collide here, from the dining spaces upstairs to live shows at the Drake Underground. And like Toronto itself, it never seems to stop changing. The food changes. The chefs change. The art changes. The spaces have been renovated and expanded, including the addition of a five-storey Modern Wing beside the original building. Through all of that reinvention, The Drake has remained a fixture on Queen West — and that's exactly why it belongs on a true Toronto-local checklist. You don't necessarily have to stay the night, but if you've never eaten, drank, danced or caught a show here, you've still got some Toronto homework to do. The Drake Hotel Menu ### Primadonna > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸 **Cuisine:** Italian-American **Address:** 600 King St. W., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** Toronto has never met a rooftop it didn't want to turn into a restaurant, and Primadonna earns a spot on this list for embracing that particular local tradition. The Italian-American spot sits right in the middle of King West and delivers exactly the kind of night this neighbourhood is known for: dress up a little more than necessary, order pasta for the table and somehow stay out hours later than planned. It's indulgent, buzzy and very downtown Toronto. And really, if you've never lost track of time over dinner on King West, can you really claim full Toronto-local status yet? Primadonna Menu ### Mother's Dumplings > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸 **Cuisine:** Dumplings **Address:** 421 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** You can't make a list of places to eat your way through Toronto without going to Chinatown. Mother's Dumplings has been a neighbourhood staple for years, specializing in handmade dumplings inspired by owner Zhen Fang's recipes. This is the Toronto I love most. Our food identity isn't defined by a single dish or culinary tradition. It's defined by neighbourhoods where generations of immigrants have built restaurants that eventually become inseparable from the identity of the city itself. Get the dumplings. Obviously. Mother's Dumplings Menu ### Animl > See on Instagram **Price:** 💸💸💸—💸💸💸💸 **Cuisine:** Steakhouse **Address:** 420A Wellington St. W., Toronto, ON **Why You Need To Go:** Finally, I couldn't make a Toronto restaurant checklist without including a steakhouse. We are, after all, a city that loves an unnecessarily glamorous dinner. Animl brings the classic steakhouse into the new era of Toronto dining. It's bold, indulgent and constantly levelling up. If you're working your way through the city's essential restaurant experiences, this is where you come when you're ready to go all out. Animl Menu So, how'd you do? Obviously, this is a completely unofficial test. Your Toronto credentials are safe regardless of your score. But if you've been keeping count... **0 to 3:** You’ve got plenty of Toronto eating left to do. **4 to 6:** A very respectable start. **7 to 9:** You definitely know your way around the city's food scene. **10 to 11:** At this point, you could probably make your own list. **12 out of 12:** Congratulations. You may now complain about the Gardiner with full authority. And for the record, being a "true Toronto local" has absolutely nothing to do with how many restaurants you've been able to afford, book or get across the city to visit. This is just a very unserious excuse to compare notes on some of the places that make Toronto's food scene feel like Toronto! _The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media._

A man has been arrested and charged with half a dozen counts of sexual assault after women were groped at big-box stores in the Calgary area, RCMP said Friday. The 30-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., just north of Calgary, was arrested earlier this week and is scheduled to appear in court next week. RCMP Staff Sgt. Steven Browne said each case was similar and began at a Walmart on Aug. 12. He said a woman was shopping at the store in Airdrie when a man grabbed her buttocks. "(The man) did not say anything and departed the business without a confrontation," he said at a news conference. Another assault happened at the same Walmart 12 days later and two more happened Sept. 17 at a grocery store. The two women at the No Frills grocery store in Airdrie have yet to be identified, he said, asking them to come forward. Browne said RCMP investigators were also notified by Calgary police of two identical instances — one at a Walmart and the other at a Shoppers Drug Mart. The accused was arrested without incident at his home Tuesday. Browne said he has no idea of the motive, adding that the man did not wear a mask and was caught on video during each alleged offence. He said assistance is being offered to the women involved. "We've offered them the supports of the regional victim services society and again no woman wants to be inappropriately touched in any fashion," he said. "It's a criminal offence and we take that at the highest priority." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026. _By Bill Graveland | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Proposed legislation before the House of Commons would give Prime Minister Mark Carney's government explicit authority to stop employees from going on strike and force them to resolve issues with their employer. The bill only applies to federally-regulated employees and if the minister of Jobs and Families decides that the industry or workplace is in the national interest. Nunavut's hamlet, housing and municipal workers would be affected, but Government of Nunavut and Qulliq Energy Corporation employees would not, according to Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) North. If strikes can be shut down, then unions will have a harder time negotiating better contracts for employees, according to PSAC North, a union representing 14,000 employees across Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. "We are demanding that Mark Carney keep his hands off our bargaining rights, and we will continue to fight on behalf of all workers in the North and across the country," said Josee-Anne Spirito, regional executive vice-president for PSAC North. Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hadju denied claims that her government is attempting to interfere with strikes. The bill is aimed at creating a predictable investment environment for major infrastructure projects, so employers know what they're getting into when they spend money on developments in Canada, according to the federal government. "This legislation will protect the right to strike while reinforcing the responsibility of unions and employers to negotiate in good faith, helping ensure workers and employers can continue to navigate challenges together,” Hadju said. Stronger rules to force employers to pay wages, the hiring of 100 new health and safety officers nationally, and 26 new staff to clear the backlog of complaints against employers across the country are also part of the government's proposed legislation. Spirito said that the proposed legislation's benefits to unions on contract negotiations, wage theft, worker misclassification, and bargaining rules don't cancel out the back-to-work rules. "Ultimately these changes accompany a major shift that would effectively strip thousands of workers of the ability to exercise their right to strike," Spirito said. The federal government already has the power to end strikes by email and send employees back to work, under a process called binding arbitration. In August 2025, Air Canada employees refused to comply with a back-to-work order from the federal government, remaining on strike until their demands were met. The government's new bill seeks to enshrine the back-to-work orders into law, according to Spirito. "This is something workers have been fighting to get rid of, but Bill C-39 would normalize this mechanism and make it the law, giving the minister explicit power to terminate strikes and impose binding dispute resolution based solely on their 'opinion' of what is in the national interest, without ever having to be accountable to Parliament or to workers," Spirito said. _Copyright 2026, Nunavut News. All rights reserved._ _William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News._

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says a checkstop set up near a First Nation could lead to division between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people after allegations that licensed hunters are being turned away from accessing public land in the territory. Kinew is urging the community of Bloodvein First Nation, north of Winnipeg, to reconsider turning moose hunters away this season, saying the move could incite backlash and hatred toward Indigenous people. The First Nation set up a checkstop last year to prevent drugs and alcohol from entering the community but also deterred hunters from accessing the territory citing a dwindling moose population. The Manitoba Wildlife Federation says it has received reports that the community was turning hunters away again this week. Kinew says the province has sent a cease and desist letter to the First Nation Bloodvein Chief Lisa Young did not immediately respond to requests for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says time changes are officially over in Manitoba. The premier says the proclamation he signed Friday in Selkirk, Man., makes it so. Kinew announced last week that the province would be moving to keep daylight time year-round. He said the decision came after hearing overwhelming support from a recent survey to ditch the time changes. About 58 per cent of the 72,000 Manitobans who responded to the survey wanted to stick with daylight time, while 34 per cent wanted to make standard time permanent. While Kinew had favoured standard time for the health benefits, he said he listened to what people asked for, and that ending time changes in general will also be good for people's health. "Let the record show in the history books, when you tell your great-great-grandkids when we stopped changing the clocks, that change happened right here in Selkirk," Kinew said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Federal party leaders are paying tribute to a 45-year-old Canada Revenue Agency employee who was killed in Montreal on Tuesday. The Union of Taxation Employees identified the woman as Leïla Ben Salem. Prime Minister Mark Carney offered condolences to Ben Salem's family, colleagues and loved ones on behalf of the federal government. He said in the House of Commons that the federal employee was dedicated to serving Canadians and suggested she was working when she was attacked. Montreal police say they found the 45-year-old woman at her apartment in the Ville-Marie borough on Tuesday as they responded to a call for a welfare check. Police say officers have spoken with a person of interest in the case, but that there have been no arrests as of Thursday afternoon. Carney says members of the government would do everything they could to help ensure the killer is brought to justice. "Ms. Ben Salem was a valued member of the Canada Revenue Agency, dedicated to serving Canadians, which she was doing at the time of her assault," he said. "The Government of Canada, and everyone in this chamber, will do everything in its power to support the police force so that the perpetrator of this shameful crime pays the full price.'" Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also paid tribute to Ben Salem, describing her as a "treasured member of the public service who tragically lost her life." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled through Canadian airspace on Thursday, despite facing an international arrest warrant. Online flight tracker data shows Netanyahu flew over Greece, Italy, France and Canada on his way to address the UN in New York. Myah Tomasi, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, says any authorization to pass through Canadian airspace should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the policies or actions of any particular government. In this case, she says the overflight request was in connection to the United Nations General Assembly, which she called a critical forum for the diplomatic engagement. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Mark Carney said in October that the Israeli leader will be arrested if he enters Canada. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

A day after Prime Minister Mark Carney told a U.S. media outlet his government has studied the possibility of U.S.-led military action in Canada, Defence Minister David McGuinty says all militaries analyze such risks. McGuinty is downplaying the significance of comments Carney made to the New York Times on Wednesday indicating Ottawa has examined the possibility of American military action. Carney told the New York Times he would not to discuss in detail what that examination involved, but suggested it would be irresponsible not to prepare for what he called "extreme tail risk." McGuinty says it's normal for a country to do that but the government would not be going into any detail about what such an analysis entails. He says Canada and the United States have one of the most important military relationships in the world, having co-operated for decades to keep North America safe. Conservative MP Ellis Ross says Carney's comments were irresponsible, "uncalled for" and served to stoke division and fear, and wants to know what the United States has to say about this. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026. _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

An Oklahoma judge has removed the University of New Brunswick as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania state senator with ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. Sen. Doug Mastriano alleged defamation, racketeering, antitrust and other claims against UNB and almost two dozen academics in 2024 over criticism of his academic research into the American First World War hero Sgt. Alvin York. The university granted Mastriano, a retired U.S. army colonel, a doctorate for his research in 2013. York was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading U.S. soldiers behind German lines in France during the First World War to disrupt machine gunfire. More than 20 German soldiers were killed and 132 captured. A movie about York's heroics won Gary Cooper a best actor Academy Award, and the story was memorialized in comic books. Mastriano’s academic credentials from UNB were called into question in 2022 when The Associated Press reported allegations from scholars asserting that his doctoral dissertation was plagued by factual errors and amateurish archeology. The university then conducted an independent review on how he received his PhD. Mastriano claimed in his lawsuit that UNB engaged in co-ordinated efforts to destroy his academic reputation and eliminate him as a competitor in First World War scholarship, as well as to interfere with his political campaigns. Mastriano was a little-known state senator in Pennsylvania until he took an active role in the movement to overturn Trump’s 2020 election defeat. He attracted headlines when Trump backed him for Pennsylvania governor during the senator's unsuccessful campaign in 2022. In the 2024 lawsuit, Mastriano was seeking millions of dollars in damages, claiming criticism of his research cost him income from tourism-related events, as well as book, media, television and movie deals. The senator claimed his book sales were reduced, his publisher stopped possible second editions and that he had been prevented from university job opportunities. He was also suing former UNB president Paul Mazerolle, vice-president of research David MaGee and professor Drew Rendall, who a few months before the 2022 election for Pennsylvania governor made public Mastriano's dissertation that was based on his research into York. Another defendant was James Gregory, who as a University of Oklahoma graduate student and researcher into First World War history and York, filed an academic fraud complaint against Mastriano with UNB. UNB successfully argued that it was immune from the jurisdiction of the U.S. district court for the western district of Oklahoma because the school is an “organ of a foreign state.” In a Sept. 1 ruling, District Court Judge Bernard M. Jones II cited UNB's creation in 1859 for a national purpose, its active supervision by the provincial government and the fact that its staff are considered to be public employees. Mastriano argued there were numerous exemptions to UNB’s immunity, but the judge disagreed and dismissed the case against the school. The judge also dismissed personal claims against various academics for lack of jurisdiction, saying all of them are Canadian citizens and that there's no evidence that any has had any contact with Oklahoma. Mastriano did not respond to requests for comment. UNB declined to comment on the litigation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026. — By Devin Stevens in Halifax, with files from The Associated Press _Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

A viral post on the social media platform X this week shared a claim that mail-in voting for Alberta's Oct. 19 referendum is “open to anybody” without verification of whether applicants live in the province. Other social media users posted screenshots suggesting they had been able to apply for a mail-in ballot using fake addresses outside the province. But Elections Alberta says it checks all special ballot applications against its voter registration system to exclude any fraudulent ones, and proof of ID is also required to cast a ballot. THE CLAIM In a post on Sept. 20, under the words “THIS IS INSANE,” an X user quoted what he said was a message from a follower. The message said anyone can vote by mail in the Alberta referendum, no matter where they live. “I just registered, I'm from BC, they didn't ask me anything. Only clicked a box that I'm a Canadian citizen,” said the message, which received over 201,000 views within 24 hours of its posting. “No verification of Alberta residents and they will mail the ballot anywhere.” An Alberta lawyer shared a screenshot appearing to show she had successfully submitted her application using an address in Vancouver. “It appears people can put in a residential address outside of Alberta in order to ‘complete the application process,’ she wrote. The screenshot appeared to show confirmation from Elections Alberta that an application with an address in Vancouver had been submitted. THE FACTS Albertans will vote Oct. 19 in a referendum that asks a total of 10 questions covering immigration and Canada's Constitution. The central question facing voters is whether the province should remain in Canada or begin the process to hold a binding referendum on separation. Eligible voters need to have a "place of ordinary residence" in Alberta where they live or to which they intend to return if they are temporarily living outside the province, according to Elections Alberta's website. The website adds that residents who have established ordinary residence outside the province are ineligible to vote. Elections Alberta lists voting options on its website, including special ballots that allow voting by mail. The deadline to apply for a special ballot is Friday at midnight, and officials said this week they have received more than 610,000 requests for the mail-in ballots. Lori Williams, an associate professor of political science at Mount Royal University in Calgary, said the referendum is the first time that special ballots have been made so broadly available in Alberta. In the past, she said, people needed to present evidence of extraordinary circumstances requiring them to vote by mail. "For example, you won't be in Alberta during the advance polls or on election day," she said. Williams said individuals and organizations in Alberta have encouraged voters to register for the ballots to avoid long lineups at voting stations. The change has led some online users to test the application page to determine how vulnerable it is, with some using the findings to making misleading claims. Because drop-down menus in the address section offer choices of municipalities outside Alberta, the process apparently allows someone to submit an application listing an address in another province. But Elections Alberta says that just because an application has been submitted, that does not mean it has been approved. In an emailed response about the registration page and the online claims, Elections Alberta spokesperson Maia Hanrahan said the office designed the page's first screen to allow applicants to provide addresses that they believe to be accurate without the system blocking them. Hanrahan explained that the office has a rigorous verification system in place in which staff members manually check all special ballot applications against the voter registration system. She added that if an applicant's information does not appear in the system or the details do not match what is in the system, their application is denied. "An out-of-province address cannot simply proceed through the process and be approved. While the initial application screen does not automatically block every address that is not recognized by the system, every submission is subject to human review, and no application with an invalid or out-of-province address will be approved or proceed to the next step," she said. Furthermore, the actual mail-in voting process requires the voter to include with their ballots a copy of their government-issued ID showing proof of residence in Alberta. The Alberta lawyer who posted the screenshot of a submitted ballot application with a Vancouver address also shared the confirmation code she received. The Canadian Press on Wednesday entered the code into Election Alberta's special ballot registration status page and found that the application was denied the day after it was submitted. "Your application has been reviewed and declined," a message said. Lorne Gibson, a former chief electoral officer for Alberta, said jurisdictions use different methods to vet their applicants' information for special ballots. Some require ID to be provided with their applications. "I tend to prefer this approach since it prevents a ballot from ever being sent to a person who is not an eligible voter in the first place," he said. In Alberta's case, he explained that Elections Alberta has tools including VoterLink and the Register of Electors that allow it to verify an applicant's information and determine if they are eligible before mailing out a ballot. He added that the potential penalties for someone trying to vote illegally are high, with possible fines of up to $50,000 and possible jail terms of up to two years. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026. _By Timon Johnson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._

The smell of burning tobacco and the sounds of banging drums hung in the air in Toronto's downtown core as thousands of supporters of the Grassy Narrows First Nation marched to Queen’s Park on Wednesday. Members of Grassy Narrows, alongside labour unions, environmental groups, and faith-based organizations, took to the streets to call for justice for the Ojibwe community in northwestern Ontario, which has for decades suffered from the aftershocks of thousands of kilograms of mercury being dumped in their river system in the 1960s and 1970s. Grassy Narrows Chief Sherry Ackabee said the First Nation has lost untold members to the effects of mercury poisoning. “Everybody’s lost somebody,” she said. “I myself have a child who was born with one functioning kidney … And my other children have been sick as well.” One study estimated that 90 per cent of the Grassy Narrows population suffers from some degree of mercury poisoning. The heavy metal can be passed from mothers to babies they carry, making it a problem that spans generations. The protesters are calling for Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney to close the Dryden Paper Mill responsible for the mercury contamination, and to provide compensation for the community’s hardship. The mill, which operates upstream from Grassy Narrows on the English-Wabigoon River, stopped using mercury in its industrial process in the 1970s, but mercury levels downstream from the plant haven't decreased significantly since the 1980s. A 2024 study from Western University found emissions from the mill, including sulphate, continue to wreak havoc on the community by generating methylmercury — the most toxic form of mercury. “We need cleanup. We need justice. We need compensation, and we need our people to try and live a healthy life again. But how can you do that when Dryden's still operating their mill?” Ackabee questioned. Children from Grassy Narrows led the protesters to the Indigenous Services Canada office on Bay Street, where a moment of silence was observed to honour those who had died, before the rally continued to Queen’s Park. Some held photos of Grassy Narrows members who had died prematurely. Ackabee said portraits of her nieces and nephews were among them, as well as a photo of Simon Fobister, a former Grassy Narrows chief who died at age 63. Toronto police estimated that about 2,000 people marched in the rally, though organizers put the number much higher. Police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan said the force uses drones to estimate crowd sizes but pinning down an accurate number can be difficult because crowds are fluid and people come and go during protests. Among the supporters was Donna Mergler, a professor emeritus at the University of Quebec in Montreal, who authored a 2020 Lancet study that first demonstrated a link between premature mortality and long-term mercury exposure from freshwater fish consumption in Grassy Narrows. Among the study’s findings was that Grassy Narrows members who died before the age of 60 had higher mercury levels than those who died after 60. Mergler said that in Canada, a person who dies before the age of 75 is considered to have died prematurely, but there weren’t enough people in the nation over the age of 75 to do an adequate statistical analysis using that benchmark. “All of the studies that I've done with Grassy for the past 10 years have shown that mercury is having devastating effects on this community. And I think as a scientist, one needs to take a stand,” she said. “I can't tell you how many funerals I have been to of people 20, 30, 40 years of age.” Chrissy Isaacs, a member of Grassy Narrows, said she drove more than 1,800 kilometres from the northwestern Ontario community to Toronto to participate in the march. She said she faces mental and physical health issues due to five generations of mercury poisoning in her family. “Sometimes I'm in a wheelchair … I get tremors from time to time and I lose co-ordination when I'm walking,” she said. “There's days where I just lay in bed because of nerve pain.” Isaacs drew headlines earlier this year after she protested outside a Toronto press conference held by Carney and Ford. The prime minister said “I can outlast her” as the voices of protesters could be heard shouting in the background. She says she has yet to receive an apology from the prime minister and invited him to visit Grassy Narrows First Nation to “see our people that are suffering.” The Prime Minister’s Office said at the time that Carney could not hear what protesters were saying and that members of staff met with them after the event to understand their concerns. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026. -- With files from Alessia Passafiume _By Kathryn Mannie | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved._