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In the news today: offshore wind funding, health ministers meet, PM visits Calgary
A look at what's in the news for today
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Julia Nikhinson
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed...
Ottawa to announce $100 million toward offshore wind projects in Nova Scotia
The federal government is set to announce a $100-million commitment toward developing offshore wind energy in Nova Scotia.
Energy Minister Tim Hodgson is set to deliver the news in Halifax this morning alongside Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston.
A senior government source tells The Canadian Press that Ottawa is putting $5 million toward deploying a fleet of buoys to help measure wind speeds and ocean conditions.
The information, the source says, will help inform prospective investors ahead of a call for bids in winter 2027.
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Health ministers set to meet in Winnipeg after Ottawa announces funding extension
Canadian health ministers meet in Winnipeg today after the federal government announced it would extend funding for mental health, addictions and home care by one year.
Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel made the announcement on social media late Wednesday, saying the extension represents $1.2 billion in funding.
The existing funding was set to expire next year.
Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara is to host provincial and territorial counterparts today, and Michel is to co-chair Friday's meeting.
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AI, resources and water bombers: Draft document maps Canada, EU path to closer ties
A draft joint statement from Canada and the European Union lays out concrete steps to strengthen ties around digital security, defence and resources ahead of a major summit at the end of the month.
The document states that Ottawa and Brussels aim to let Canadian companies bid on cloud and artificial-intelligence infrastructure contracts typically reserved for European companies.
The leaked statement also launches plans for Canada to join in Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation program and a deal to facilitate European investment in Canadian critical minerals.
The expanded partnership marks a broader effort to shore up links in areas ranging from trade to education and the military, as Canada and the European Union look to guard against a less reliable America.
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Carney to attend pro-Canada rally in Calgary as Alberta races toward referendum vote
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected in Calgary today to rally support for a united Canada as Alberta gears up for a separation referendum.
Carney is scheduled to join former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk at a rally for his "Forever Canadian" group ahead of Monday's vote.
Premier Danielle Smith has put 10 questions on the ballot, including one on whether Alberta should stay in Canada or if it should hold a second, binding vote on quitting Confederation.
The prime minister is also scheduled to attend a rally with Lukaszuk in Edmonton on Friday -- the same day Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Smith are set to deliver speeches at a conference in Calgary.
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'Hardly surprising' many Alberta business leaders staying mum on separation: expert
The silence from many Alberta business leaders on the upcoming provincial referendum comes as no surprise to one corporate leadership expert.
Richard Leblanc from York University says there's a tradition in Canada for CEOs to stay in their lanes and not risk alienating shareholders or employees by taking a political stand.
Leblanc says there may be times a company's board of directors agrees that a CEO should speak out on a matter that affects the well-being of the business, as something like separation arguably would.
A handful of leaders at big, publicly traded companies are among the more than 70 signatories to an open letter from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce warning of the economic fallout of separation, while the top brass at many prominent firms have stayed mum.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Carney to attend pro-Canada rally in Calgary as Alberta races toward referendum vote
Carney set to attend pro-Canada rally in Calgary
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected in Calgary today to rally support for a united Canada as Alberta gears up for a separation referendum.
Carney is scheduled to join former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk at a rally for his "Forever Canadian" group ahead of Monday's vote.
Premier Danielle Smith has put 10 questions on the ballot, including one on whether Alberta should stay in Canada or if it should hold a second, binding vote on quitting Confederation.
Tonight's rally isn't the first time Carney and Lukaszuk have teamed up to spread a pro-Canada message.
Last month, the prime minister invited Lukaszuk's group to attend a cabinet retreat in Banff, Alta., and Carney signed the Maple Leaf-wrapped motorhome Lukaszuk has been touring the province in.
Carney has said Canada is worth fighting for and that the country works better when it works together.
The prime minister is also scheduled to attend a rally with Lukaszuk in Edmonton on Friday.
Also Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Smith are scheduled to deliver speeches at a conference in Calgary.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Supreme Court hears challenge of law clearing path for Ontario Place redevelopment
Top court hears challenge of Ontario Place law
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
The Supreme Court of Canada plans to hear arguments today from a coalition challenging the constitutionality of legislation that smooths the way for major changes at Ontario Place.
The case unfolding in Canada's top court could reverberate far beyond the Toronto waterfront park that opened in 1971.
Over the years, the theme park featured a spherical theatre that showed movies on a huge screen, children's play areas, a revolving concert stage and several pavilions suspended above the water.
The provincial government wants to redevelop Ontario Place to include an elaborate spa operated by a private company, a relocated Ontario Science Centre, revamped play and shoreline areas, a parking facility and a provincial police detachment.
The coalition Ontario Place Protectors challenged the province's Rebuilding Ontario Place Act on the basis that it insulates state action from scrutiny by the courts and therefore violates the Constitution.
The coalition also argued that exemptions from environmental and heritage laws and municipal noise regulations amount to a breach of public trust.
An Ontario judge dismissed the application in 2024 and a challenge of the ruling in the provincial Court of Appeal was also unsuccessful.
Writing on behalf of a unanimous Court of Appeal, Justice Grant Huscroft said there was no doubt that the provincial government's decision to redevelop Ontario Place is strongly opposed by a number of concerned citizens and organizations.
Political opposition to the plan has not swayed the government and the coalition has turned to the court in an effort to stop it, Huscroft said.
"But there is no basis for the court to do so. The court is not an alternative forum for resolving political grievances. The only legitimate question for the court is whether the impugned provisions of ROPA violate the law or the Constitution," he wrote.
"They do not, and the appeal must be dismissed."
In January, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the Ontario Place Protectors' case.
The coalition says provincial superior courts have historical and inherent jurisdiction to review laws and government actions protected under section 96 of the Constitution Act, 1867, and to provide effective remedies when governments do not respect the limits on their powers.
The coalition says the Rebuilding Ontario Place Act's scope is unprecedented and appears to violate section 96 by removing the essential core powers of the courts.
It argues the legislation severely limits or entirely eliminates the ability of courts to hold Crown officials accountable through declaratory actions, damage awards and injunctions when they have acted beyond their powers.
The coalition is also seeking to have the doctrine of public trust acknowledged as an unwritten constitutional principle rooted in English common law and inherited by Canada.
It argues the doctrine of public trust maintains that natural and cultural assets are essential to public welfare and must be safeguarded by the state in its role as trustee.
Margie Zeidler, the daughter of Ontario Place architect Eberhard Zeidler, remembers visiting the park as a child.
"It was extraordinary. It was a public place," she said in an interview. "You could have a picnic in the forest. You could watch films at Cinesphere. You could watch any musical performance at the forum."
Zeidler, a member of the Ontario Place Protectors coalition, says the provincial government's actions have made the fight about more than just the historic theme park. "It became more, not about Ontario Place, but about, wait a minute, what democracy are we living in here?" she said. "I didn't know governments could do that."
In their written submission to the Supreme Court, the Crown and the Ontario attorney general say the case should be dismissed.
The immunity provided by the provincial legislation does not go as far as the coalition alleges, the submission says: "(The act) does not make Ontario Place a lawless zone."
Rather, it immunizes the Crown, its servants and agents from civil causes of action arising from specific circumstances, the submission says.
The Crown and attorney general also urge the court to reject the claim that the legislation is invalid because of the doctrine of public trust.
"The novel doctrine articulated by the Appellant is not an unwritten constitutional principle, and even if such a doctrine existed in law, which is denied, there is no evidence in the record that could warrant applying this far-reaching new doctrine to Ontario Place," the submission says.
The case has attracted submissions from interveners, including several provinces, First Nations, civil liberties groups and environmental organizations.
The Supreme Court often reserves its decisions until a later date, meaning a ruling in the case might not come until next year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
By Jim Bronskill | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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