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Carney to bring his pro-Canada campaign to Edmonton with referendum just days away
Carney to bring pro-Canada campaign to Edmonton
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Prime Minister Mark Carney continues his pro-Canada campaign in Alberta as the clock ticks down to a referendum on whether the province should break up with Confederation.
He is set to visit Red Deer with Premier Danielle Smith today and later rally in Edmonton with the federalist group Forever Canadian.
Carney spoke Thursday at one of the group's rallies in Calgary, telling the crowd of roughly 5,000 that a vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that could lead to years of lost opportunities.
He says frustrations in Alberta are real but that Canada is working in the spirit of co-operative federalism.
Smith has put 10 questions on Monday's referendum, including one on whether Alberta should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding vote on leaving.
Meanwhile, Smith and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will both speak at a conference in Calgary about keeping Alberta in the Confederation fold.
With voters just days away from the polls, those who attended Thursday's rally said Albertans in favour of separation have valid concerns, but Canada is worth fighting for.
"We've got everything we need here and we're stronger together than we are apart," said Bill Chan, who lives in Calgary.
Chan said he heard from Carney's remarks a more "conciliatory" tone in how Ottawa would treat provinces and territories going forward, notably Alberta.
He also said parts of the prime minister's speech hit home.
"What he said about Canada being a country that was built historically by people banding together really stuck out for me," Chan said.
"Because if history is any guide, going separate ways has never proven to be as strong and as impactful as doing things together."
Carney told those gathered that the referendum comes at the worst possible time.
The world has grown more dangerous and divided, he said, and some outside Canada's borders were working to "break us so they can own us."
"At this pivotal moment, Albertans have a choice: to build a stronger Alberta and an even greater Canada to leave for our children or we can burden them with years of deep division and great uncertainty," he said.
"What we need is a decisive result on Monday to settle this question."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
— With files from Dayne Patterson in Calgary
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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At Toronto event, Margaret Atwood reiterates need for due process in Galloway case
Atwood defends Galloway at Toronto event
As Steven Galloway concluded his testimony in his defamation trial in Vancouver, in Toronto, author Margaret Atwood reiterated her stance as a defender of due process in his case.
Atwood, who was receiving an award at a Journalists for Human Rights event, spoke about her decision to sign an open letter in November 2016 calling for an investigation into how the University of British Columbia handled the Galloway case.
Atwood faced intense backlash and scrutiny from the public after expressing support for the former UBC professor, comparing the online criticism to the French Revolution.
“Luckily, I couldn’t be fired from the university or blacklisted from festivals,” she said. “Or if I was, I didn’t notice.”
She also referred to Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which calls for “the right of every human being to a fair, open and impartial trial.”
She lamented the Canadian media's reluctance to cover the case over the last eight years. Atwood has written opinion articles, most recently in the Vancouver Sun this week, in support of Galloway. She added that legacy media publications face growing pressures and dwindling revenue, which make it difficult to “defend against lawsuits.”
“This has made them more cautious,” she added.
Atwood also worried that social media has made the public more distrustful with a growing tendency to believe anything posted online.
Galloway, known for the award-winning novel “The Cellist of Sarajevo,” is in the middle of a defamation trial against several people who he alleges published unproven allegations of sexual assault.
One of the defendants includes a former student, known as A.B., who made sexual assault allegations against him that later spread on social media. Galloway was fired from UBC shortly after rumours of the accusations spread in late 2015.
He was a tenured professor and the former chair of UBC’s creative writing program.
A report produced by a former judge for the university concluded that the accusations against Galloway were unsubstantiated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
By Sadeen Mohsen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Canada must diversify trade away from the U.S. for security reasons: Freeland
Canada must diversify trade for security: Freeland
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland says it's important for national security reasons that Canada do everything it can to diversify trade away from the United States.
During a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Thursday, Freeland said it's dangerous to deepen or maintain a close economic relationship with a partner who "openly says they want to take you over."
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about turning Canada into the 51st state and, while he ruled out using military force to annex the country in January 2025, has said he would consider using "economic force."
Even if the U.S. had a president who believed in free trade with Canada, Freeland says being dependent on any one partner is "not a great idea."
Freeland's new book, “Unreliable Boyfriend,” was released this week and is part international analysis about the evolving role of the United States and part political memoir.
Its title is a reference to a comment she made on an American talk show in February, when she said the U.S. is "not a very reliable boyfriend right now."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
By Catherine Morrison | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Clodelle répond aux commentaires concernant les circonstances du décès de Karim Ouellet
« On a été une bonne gang à ne pas dormir, être inquiets… »
Dans les derniers jours, plusieurs personnalités publiques ont partagé un lien où leurs abonné.es peuvent leur poser des questions de façon anonyme. La chanteuse et candidate d'OD Dans L'Ouest, Clodelle, a participé au mouvement et a répondu à une question liée aux commentaires qui circulent concernant le décès de Karim Ouellet.
C'est le 17 janvier 2022 que le chanteur de 37 ans a été retrouvé sans vie dans son studio de musique à Québec. Quelques mois plus tard, soit le 22 juin, le rapport d'investigation du coroner est sorti, révélant les circonstances du décès.
« Le décès serait survenu le 15 novembre 2021 », peut-on lire dans le document suite aux résultats obtenus lors du l'autopsie du 19 janvier. La perte de Karim aurait donc été découverte deux mois après son départ, ce qui a suscité plusieurs questionnements chez les fans de l'artiste.
C'est donc lors de la séance de questions et réponses publiée en stories sur son profil Instagram que Clodelle a reçu un message au sujet de ces événements :
« En fait, je ne comprends pas... Tu dis que c'était ton meilleur ami, mais pourquoi n'as-tu pas pris de nouvelles de lui avant qu'il soit retrouvé? Il n'y a aucun jugement dans ma question, seulement beaucoup d'incompréhension [...]. »
Sans trop vouloir entrer dans les détails, la chanteuse a alors répondu que ce genre de propos la dérange :
« Je vais juste frôler le sujet par respect de Karim et sa famille, mais notre ami était malade. Il avait par moments des difficultés à accepter sa maladie et par moment, même prendre soin de lui-même. C'était quelqu'un qui était très fier et très discret.
« Pas longtemps avant sa mort, il a coupé les ponts avec tout son entourage, par choix. Quand je dis tout, c'est tout. On a été une bonne gang à ne pas dormir, être inquiets, se sentir démunis et tristes de ne pas avoir de nouvelles... », a ajouté Clodelle.
Elle a ensuite remercié les gens de conserver leurs jugements :
« Je sais que nous sommes des personnalités publiques, mais on traverse des difficultés aussi et c'est correct de ne pas vouloir tout partager et médiatiser. »
Suite à son départ, plusieurs vedettes québécoises ont tenu à rendre hommage au chanteur à travers différents textes et images. Clodelle a d'ailleurs participé au spectacle hommage Bye Bye Bye Karim le 12 juin dernier aux Francos de Montréal, aux côtés d'artistes tel.les que Ariane Moffatt, Hubert Lenoir, Claude Bégin et le groupe Alaclair Ensemble.