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2 RCMP officers charged after N.W.T. man died in police custody in 2025
2 RCMP officers charged in man's 2025 death
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
The RCMP says it has laid charges against two of its own officers after a man from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, died in their custody last year.
The Alberta RCMP, which led the investigation into the man's death, says the two Yellowknife officers face charges of criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life.
The charges stem from an incident in March 2025, police say, when the two officers responded to a report of a disturbance at a Yellowknife business.
When the officers arrived, the RCMP says they detained a man who was showing signs of intoxication and left him inside a police vehicle while they gathered more information at the scene.
Police say the officers returned to the car and found the man, 56-year-old Lawrence Blackduck, unresponsive.
He was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene, the RCMP says, after life-saving measures were attempted and paramedics were called.
The RCMP did not give further details about the officers' alleged conduct which gave rise to the charges.
The national police service says it conducted an internal review in the aftermath of the incident and it has since made changes to police policy and training related to in-vehicle detentions.
Chief Superintendent Dyson Smith of the Northwest Territories RCMP extended his condolences to Blackduck's family and community and called the incident "deeply troubling."
"“This is a difficult day for our organization and the communities we serve. We recognize the seriousness of this incident and remain committed to transparency, accountability and maintaining public trust and confidence," Smith wrote in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Alberta referendum expected to bring finality, but also more questions on separation
Questions to remain after Alberta separation vote
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
On Monday, Albertans vote on whether to stay in Canada or hold another binding referendum on quitting Canada.
If the vote goes as polls suggest, a majority of Albertans will mark an X to stay in Confederation, and Premier Danielle Smith has said if that’s so, she expects everyone to accept it and move on. Leaders of the independence movement contest that.
And political watchers are divided about whether separation — previously a fringe sentiment — will now be a prominent, permanent feature of Alberta’s political landscape, as in Quebec.
Julian Castro-Rea, a political-science professor at the University of Alberta who studies the separation debates in Quebec and Alberta, believes as long as Alberta feels alienated from the Canadian capital — feeling that Ottawa benefits from Alberta's resource economy without giving back — the movement will have fuel.
"Even if the referendum is lost, the westernization will still be around, because it's kind of a way which, traditionally, Albertans have related to the rest of Canada," says Castro-Rea, who believes western alienation may remain indefinitely.
Alberta's independence movement has been compared to Brexit and separation in Scotland, but the most obvious comparator is Quebec.
Earlier this month, Quebec elected a minority government led by the Parti Québécois, which has promised to call a third independence referendum to leave Canada, following votes in 1980 and 1995.
Experts say the two provinces differ in their catalysts for secession. Quebec and its francophone culture have developed over centuries. Alberta, by comparison, was created alongside Saskatchewan out of the division of the Northwest Territories in 1905.
Alberta's separatists are driven by western alienation rather than a deep-seated nationalist sentiment, like Quebec, experts say. That means it's difficult to see how the long-term future of the movement could pan out.
"They have different identity, different history, different language, as you know, and therefore they can claim, kind of, this historical legitimacy as the basis for their attempts for separation," Castro-Rea says.
Separatist sentiment has been sprinkled into Alberta's saucepan for the past half-century before coming to a boil in recent years. Premier Smith, who has voted to stay in Canada, has repeatedly criticized former prime minister Justin Trudeau's policies as oppressive to Western Canada's sovereignty and its energy-driven economy.
That criticism has softened against current Prime Minister Mark Carney, who referred to Alberta's bid for secession as a "dangerous bluff" on Thursday night. He also said a decisive result would "settle this question."
Andrew McDougall, an associate political science professor at the University of Toronto, says he sees Alberta's referendum as a way to garner political leverage with Ottawa, as Quebec has.
"This has sometimes been referred to in Quebec as the 'knife at the throat strategy,' where Quebec could sort of push its agenda because we've had that incredible threat of a referendum," he says.
But former UCP premier Jason Kenney, speaking in Edmonton earlier this week, said the knife analogy cuts both ways.
"The idea of making the threat by holding a knife to the throat of the federation is how you end up as a have-not province, like Quebec, instead of the ultimate have province like Alberta," he said.
"You want to talk about a lack of investor confidence? The next year, moving towards an actual vote on separation when the first one is won — the economic consequences would be catastrophic."
Political science professor Graeme Young says to understand Alberta’s future, one could look at Scotland.
Young, at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, grew up in Ontario and kept interest in Alberta's prospective separation from afar as Scotland bolsters another push to leave the United Kingdom.
He says he doesn't expect Alberta's separatist campaign will last. He believes the movement could deflate with a different federal political party in power. And he says it can’t draw from the same wellspring of national identity as exists in Scotland.
Young says Scotland's 2014 campaign was, in large part, defeated by uncertainty about the economics of independence, including pensions, currency, finances and its role in the European Union.
And while Scotland has been preparing for more than a decade for another run at independence, Alberta's movement is underprepared, Young says.
"(Alberta's case) has been put together quite hastily," he says. "It does not seem that they have invested as much time and energy into that case as one would expect for setting up a new country."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
— With files from Lisa Johnson in Edmonton and The Associated Press
By Dayne Patterson | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Separation, immigration, the Constitution: A look at Alberta's referendum questions
A look at the 10 Alberta referendum questions
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Here are the 10 questions Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is sending to a provincewide referendum on Monday.
Question 1: Do you support the government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
What you need to know: Smith has said she wants to see Alberta have a similar accord as Quebec, which has an agreement with Ottawa that lets the province set its own eligibility requirements for economic migrants.
She said in February that a "normal" and "sustainable" level of immigration would represent less than one per cent of the population, or about 50,000 newcomers per year. But critics say Smith has failed to plan for the population growth it invited with a countrywide ad campaign in recent years.
Question 2: Do you support the government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
What you need to know: The premier has blamed overburdened public services on rapid population growth in the past five years.
The government's website claims temporary residents cost the province more than $1 billion in health care, education and social services. Critics say those numbers don't add up and that the government is ignoring the economic contributions and benefits they bring to Alberta.
The specific effect of a yes vote is unclear, since the government says it won't define "Alberta-approved immigration status" until after the referendum.
Question 3: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially funded social support programs?
What you need to know: The government says it won't determine which programs would be affected until after the referendum, should Albertans vote yes.
Temporary workers are already ineligible for some provincial programs, such as Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped, and the Canadian Bar Association's provincial chapter says this could run afoul of the Canada Health Act or the Charter's equality provisions.
Question 4: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family's use of the health care and education systems?
What you need to know: A potential new charge wouldn't be determined by the government until after the vote, though the premier told Calgary business leaders on Sept. 22 that a health premium could be as much as $1,900.
Education leaders in the province have come out against restricting access to schooling, saying it goes against internationally agreed children's rights.
Question 5: Do you support the government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?
What you need to know: Voting is already restricted to Canadian citizens, and both Elections Canada and Elections Alberta have reported very few cases of ineligible voting.
Smith has said it's about strengthening the integrity of provincial elections. Critics say this policy would only make lineups at the polls more time-consuming and open the door to racial or ethnic bias at the voting booth.
Question 6: Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King's Bench and Appeal courts?
What you need to know: If approved by voters, this proposal would only commit Alberta's government to working with other provinces and federal lawmakers to make changes to the Constitution.
Changes generally need approval from seven provincial legislatures covering 50 per cent of Canada's population, as well as from the House of Commons and Senate in Ottawa.
Question 7: Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to abolish the unelected federal Senate?
What you need to know: Abolishing the Senate would be even more difficult than other general constitutional amendments. It would need to be unanimously approved by all provinces and ratified by the Senate and the House of Commons.
Question 8: Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs?
What you need to know: The federal "spending power" authority allows Ottawa to attach conditions to its funding for provinces, with health-care funding under the Canada Health Act as a key example.
A permanent provincial "opt-out" clause would require the Constitution to be amended.
Question 9: Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province's laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province's laws and federal laws conflict?
What you need to know: Under the Constitution, federal laws are given standing over provincial laws when jurisdictional issues arise.
This change to the Constitution would require approval from the Senate, the House of Commons and seven provinces representing at least half the country's population.
Question 10: Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?
What you need to know: Advocates for separation say the province needs to get out from under federal taxation and regulation, freeing up wealth and sparking economic development. Federalists say the split would only hurt businesses and saddle landlocked Alberta with debt and the massive cost of delivering formerly federal services.
Smith has framed her other nine other questions on immigration and constitutional reform as a political compromise that could address Alberta's grievances, gain leverage with Ottawa and avoid dismantling the country.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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ChatGPT nous dit les 7 meilleurs trucs pour économiser à l'épicerie au Québec
On va prendre TOUS les « hacks » possibles!
Avec la récente inflation qui a frappé plusieurs secteurs au pays, la population québécoise cherche à économiser encore plus que jamais. Couponing, astuces pour trouver des rabais, réduction des dépenses, deuxième emploi, plusieurs ont commencé à user de leur créativité pour tenter de diminuer les factures des achats du quotidien.
Afin de t'aider à sauver quelques sous, Narcity a demandé à la plateforme ChatGPT quels seraient les sept meilleurs trucs pour économiser à l'épicerie au Québec. Bien utiles, les réponses de la l'intelligence artificielle (IA) peuvent certainement te permettre d'épargner un brin. Sors ton calepin et prends des notes!
Faire une liste d'épicerie et s'y tenir
Selon ChatGPT, les listes d'épicerie sont un essentiel pour réduire tes dépenses. Il faut toutefois bien la suivre et éviter de faire des achats impulsifs : « Avant de partir faire vos courses, prenez le temps de dresser une liste des articles dont vous avez besoin. De cette façon, vous éviterez d'acheter des choses inutiles ou impulsives qui pourraient faire grimper votre facture ».
Rechercher les offres et les rabais
Il existe une tonne de promotions et rabais offerts par les entreprises. Il est judicieux de prendre un temps supplémentaire pour vérifier les circulaires et comparer les prix affichés dans les différents commerces. L'IA te conseille aussi d'utiliser des applications ou les sites Web des compagnies pour obtenir des produits gratuits, des remises en argent ou des rabais.
Planifier les repas
« En planifiant vos repas à l'avance, vous pouvez acheter les ingrédients dont vous avez besoin en grande quantité et éviter le gaspillage alimentaire. De plus, cela peut vous aider à varier votre alimentation et à éviter les achats impulsifs », indique la plateforme. En effet, penser à ton menu de la semaine peut t'aider à économiser, mais aussi à diminuer la perte des aliments.
Éviter les marques de commerce
Les marques d'entreprise connue peuvent coûter plus cher que les produits génériques ou les marques maisons. ChatGPT te recommande aussi de magasiner en vrac afin de sauver des sous.
Acheter en saison
Autre astuce proposée par l'IA c'est de privilégier l'achat des fruits et légumes de saison : « Les fruits et légumes qui sont en saison coûtent souvent moins cher que ceux qui ne le sont pas. Essayez donc de planifier vos repas en fonction des produits de saison pour économiser de l'argent ». En plus, c'est meilleur pour l'environnement!
Éviter les aliments transformés
Selon ChatGPT, les aliments transformés coûteraient plus cher que les produits frais ou congelés. Il est vrai qu'entre des muffins cuisinés à la maison ou des muffins en épicerie, le premier choix permet de sauver quelques dollars et en plus, avouons-le, ils sont nettement meilleurs lorsqu'ils sont faits avec amour et fraîchement sortis du four.
Magasiner en ligne
Eh oui, la nouvelle façon de faire son épicerie pourrait bien te permettre d'épargner. L'intelligence artificielle souligne qu'en plus de te faire économiser du temps et de l'essence, magasiner en ligne te permettrait d'éviter les achats impulsifs et de mieux comparer les prix.