Quebec opposition parties want Parti Québécois to take note of Alberta referendum
Two opposition leaders in Quebec are urging the incoming Parti Québécois government to take note of Monday night's referendum results in Alberta.
About three-quarters of Albertans voted for the province to remain in Canada, rejecting a proposal for a future referendum on separation.
However, they also voted for their province to negotiate for changes to the Constitution to secure more powers from the federal government.
Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime says Quebecers must align themselves with Alberta to to secure a balance of power in the federation.
He is also urging PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to drop his promise to hold a referendum on independence.
Liberal Leader Charles Milliard made the same request, but did not comment on Alberta's desires for more powers.
— With files from Patrice Bergeron in Quebec City
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
In the news today: maple leaf love in Alberta, Wainwright grieves, B.C. vote nears
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …
Maple leaf love: Albertans vote strongly to stay in Canada
O Canada, Alberta is staying put.
In a historic referendum Monday that capped a long debate over separation, voters on both sides overwhelmingly marked their ballots to remain in the country that made Alberta a province 121 years ago.
In early returns, about 76 per cent of Albertans said yes to Confederation, while 24 per cent said they wanted the province to hold a second, binding referendum on leaving.
Both Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Prime Minister Mark Carney lauded the result in statements on social media.
Smith said she would give a TV address Tuesday night to detail where the province goes from here.
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Wainwright, Alta., residents grieving but resilient after tragic fire on army base
Residents of a central Alberta town are grieving but stoic after a vicious fire killed four soldiers and wounded dozens more at a nearby military base.
Living alongside soldiers preparing for battle, they say, has built up a deep stoicism and resilience in Wainwright, southeast of Edmonton.
Sharon Pashko says Saturday's tragedy at CFB Wainwright — one of Canada's busiest military bases — is heartbreaking, but that the town will bounce back.
Defence officials have said 84 members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry were in a training area of the base when strong and sudden winds sent flames from a nearby grass fire barrelling toward soldiers at lightning speed, sending 39 to hospital.
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Federal ministers defend major projects bill at House committee meeting
Four federal ministers defended the government's contentious legislation to speed up major projects in the House of Commons on Monday, as Ottawa continues to face criticism from Indigenous, environment and labour groups.
The 243-page bill would fast-track approvals for major projects, cut their review times and create zones of "national interest" to pre-approve certain types of projects.
Labour leaders and union members gathered across Canada last week to protest Bill C-39, arguing the legislation would undermine workers' right to strike, as it proposes changes to the Canada Labour Code.
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said Monday the bill strengthens the right to strike by removing the ability to use Section 107 before a labour disruption, adding that "Protecting workers and protecting the national interest go hand in hand."
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Advance voting in B.C. election is down compared to 2024
The number of ballots cast in the first three days of advance voting in the British Columbia election is down about 8 per cent compared to 2024.
Elections BC says there were about 440,000 votes cast from Friday to Sunday, compared to almost 480,000 in the first three days of advance voting last election, which set a record for total advance turnout.
Early voting continues at hundreds of places across the province today and tomorrow until 8 p.m. ahead of final voting day on Saturday.
There were more than one million advance ballots cast in 2024, a surge of 49 per cent compared to the previous election, and a report by the chief electoral officer says the process has been steadily increasing in popularity for two decades.
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Paris police issue overnight curfew in 2 areas of French capital to try to prevent further disorder
Paris police issued an overnight curfew in two areas of the French capital “to protect people and property from the violence and looting.”
The statement on Monday said that the orders ban gatherings and demonstrations and impose a curfew prohibiting anyone from entering or remaining around the Place de la République, where rioting took place Saturday.
The shopping neighbourhood of Les Halles, which has been subject to looting, has also been included in the curfew.
The curfew was in effect from 11 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Albertans split in early returns on remaining 9 referendum questions
While Albertans roundly rejected separation in Monday’s referendum, results were decidedly closer in early returns on nine other questions.
Premier Danielle Smith also polled Albertans on five questions on immigration and four about seeking a mandate to work with other provinces to change the Constitution and wrest more power from Ottawa.
The immigration questions asked whether Alberta should have more say on who comes to the province to work and whether it’s time to put more limitations — and perhaps introduce fees — on some who seek access to health care and education.
Smith has said immigration is a benefit but must be economically sustainable. Critics have called the questions anti-immigrant dog-whistling.
Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack said Monday that not only does Alberta need to move on from separation, it should also ditch the immigration questions.
"Edmontonians are the ones most directly impacted by those five questions, and I don't want our neighbours to feel like they're not welcome in our city," Knack said.
"They are welcome in our city no matter who they are, no matter what they believe in, no matter any of that."
At a polling station in Calgary, voters were split.
Jamie Fisher said she supports all nine. "I don't think it's been fair (to Alberta) for a really long time, and I think a lot of people need to really hear that message," she said.
Amneet Mann characterized some of the questions as anti-immigrant.
"I just don't think that's what this country stands for," she said. "I think it's crazy that we're here and we have to make that known."
The constitutional questions asked Albertans for a blessing to pursue talks with other provinces on gaining control from Ottawa and abolishing the Senate.
Smith said those issues are pressing. Critics have called them posturing.
Smith said she voted to stay in Canada but needed a yes to the nine questions to get a mandate to bargain with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Her government commissioned a $4-million advertising campaign urging Albertans vote yes to the nine.
The nine became a passive-aggressive dance between Smith and Carney as the campaign wound down, with each publicly poking the other in the eye.
Last week, Carney barnstormed the province to rally support for federalists and was mobbed by cheering, back-patting selfie-seekers. On Thursday, he leveraged the opportunity and popularity in Smith’s metaphorical backyard of Calgary to publicly urge Albertans to reject the nine questions.
Smith scrambled to pivot the narrative. A day later, at a joint event in a Red Deer brewery, she pointedly handed Carney her government’s explanatory referendum booklet to get him get up to speed on the nine issues.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
-- With files from Dayne Patterson in Calgary
By Jack Farrell | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Expedia dévoile les meilleurs « hacks » pour économiser sur les vols et c'est étonnant
Il y a des journées que ça coûte moins cher que d'autres. 👀
Tu veux prendre des vacances bientôt et profiter de tes jours de congé en te faisant griller la couenne au soleil? Tu frétilles à l'idée de faire ta valise et d'envoyer des cartes postales à tes proches (et de les rendre un peu jaloux.euses, avouons-le)? Si tu fais partie de ces baroudeur.euses qui rêvent d'aventures et de paysages incroyables, sache qu'il existe différentes astuces pour économiser quelques dollars sur des vols.
L'agence de voyages Expedia, a récemment publié sa liste des meilleurs trucs pour obtenir les prix les plus bas des compagnies aériennes et ça vaut assurément la peine d'y jeter un coup d'oeil si tu penses t'envoler vers de nouvelles destinations dans les prochains mois.
En se basant sur ses propres données ainsi que sur les analyses de Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), la compagnie américaine a réussi à déterminer le meilleur jour et la bonne heure pour acheter tes billets au prix le plus bas. Sors ton calepin et prends des notes, car tous ses hacks te seront bien utiles avant de réserver ton vol.
Quel est le jour le moins cher pour faire ta réservation?
Selon les données récoltées, se sont les réservations faites le dimanche qui sont les plus avantageuses. L'entreprise a remarqué que les voyageur.euses qui achètent leur vol lors de cette journée, comparativement au vendredi par exemple, peuvent économiser en moyenne 15 % de rabais sur les vols intérieurs et 10 % sur les vols internationaux.
Combien de temps en avance dois-je réserver mon vol intérieur?
Expedia recommande de booker ton vol intérieur un peu plus de deux mois à l'avance (environ 71 jours), afin de profiter des plus bas prix. Tu pourrais ainsi économiser jusqu'à 40 % sur ta facture comparativement à ceux et celles qui achèteraient leur vol un mois avant ton départ.
Il est aussi conseillé de ne pas réserver ton siège trop tôt, soit plus de 100 jours à l'avance, car habituellement les prix des vols seront plus dispendieux de quatre à cinq mois avant le départ.
Combien de temps en avance dois-je réserver mon vol international?
Pas trop tôt et pas trop tard, selon la compagnie touristique. Les vacancier.ères devraient privilégier une réservation faite trois mois avant le voyage outre-mer, car iels pourraient économiser près de 10 % du prix .
« Les offres de dernières minutes sont de plus en plus rares », mentionne Expedia. Si tu veux prendre cette chance, c'est donc à tes risques et périls.
Comment éviter les retards et annulations de vol?
Il semble que les départs avant 15 h soient les plus sûrs selon l'entreprise américaine : « Les voyageurs qui veulent avoir le plus de chances de voyager sans encombre doivent opter pour des vols matinaux ». Ceux et celles qui décident de partir en soirée (après 15 h) auraient 15 % plus de chances de voir leur vol être annulé ou retardé.
Est-ce mieux de partir hors saison?
D'après les données recensées, partir hors saison peut non seulement te faire économiser, mais aussi réduire les possibilités d'avoir une annulation ou un retard de vol. Les meilleurs mois pour voyager seraient de février à mai.
Quand partir?
C'est le vendredi qui serait le meilleur jour pour décoller vers d'autres destinations au Canada, puisqu’un départ le cinquième jour de la semaine te permettrait d'obtenir un rabais pouvant aller jusqu'à 20 % comparativement au dimanche ou au lundi.
Pour les vols internationaux, c'est plutôt le jeudi qui serait le plus avantageux, mais la différence n'est pas aussi grande puisque les usager.ères pourraient économiser seulement 5 % en choisissant cette journée.
En somme, les vols au début de la semaine sont habituellement un peu plus dispendieux.