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Hitachi announces $479M plan to build transformer insulation factory in London, Ont.
Hitachi to build transformer insulation plant
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Hitachi Energy, along with the federal and Ontario governments, have announced a $479-million plan to build a new transformer insulation factory as electricity demand is expected to skyrocket.
The 21,000-square-metre facility in London, Ont., is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
It would be the first in Canada to produce pressboard — a material made from paper pulp that's key to keeping transformers cool — and the first one Hitachi would establish in the Americas.
The facility is expected to create 100 permanent skilled jobs.
Hitachi is shouldering the bulk of the investment, with the federal and Ontario governments collectively contributing $50 million.
Of that, $20 million is through the federal strategic response fund, $10 million is from Natural Resources Canada and up to $20 million is through the Invest Ontario Fund.
The transition to renewable electricity, industrial developments and a boom in artificial intelligence data centres are driving up demand for transformers and their components, said Bruno Melles, chief executive of Hitachi's transformers business unit based in Zurich.
"Today we are in a situation where the industry for transformer manufacturing is going at a very high speed, but not all the industrial parts are going at the same speed," Melles said in an interview ahead of the announcement.
"This is why we want to give a strong message to the market and say, 'We want to be an integral part of the supply chain resilience and we are going to invest in order to ensure that the market is not going to have any shortage.'"
In May, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada's new electricity strategy, which aims to double the country's electricity grid by 2050.
Building new infrastructure has been a key focus for Carney's government, and several power and transmission projects have been referred to the major projects office for a streamlined review.
"Electricity demand in Canada is growing at an unprecedented pace, something we've never seen before," Carla Vincente, managing director of Hitachi Energy's Canadian division, said in an interview.
"By ensuring that we have this factory operational by the end of 2028, we will be able to respond to the higher needs and demand for the transformers that are an essential part of anything that we want to do to be able to electrify."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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What Albertans need to know about voting in the referendum
Alberta referendum: What voters need to know
THE CANADIAN PRESS/James Maclennan
Referendum day in Alberta is on Monday.
The provincial referendum has 10 questions about immigration policy, constitutional reform, and whether Alberta should remain in Canada or hold a binding, second referendum on quitting the country.
Advance voting locations opened Tuesday and close Saturday night.
Over 1,400 polling stations will be open Monday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Here's what to expect when you go to vote:
How long will it take?
Get familiar with the ballot questions ahead of time, which are on the Elections Alberta website. Officials say it will help avoid confusion and delays.
They say they're expecting a record turnout of between 80 and 85 per cent of Alberta's nearly three million electors.
You have as much time as you want to fill in the 10 ballots, but officials estimate it will take most people about two minutes.
What identification is needed?
You should get a "where to vote" card in the mail ahead of time if you're registered. Otherwise, visit Elections Alberta’s website to find out where to vote.
You must vote in your electoral division during advance voting or at your assigned location on Monday.
You’ll need one government-issued ID with your correct name, current address and photo, such as a driver's licence. You can use two pieces of ID that both have your full name, with one showing your current address.
There are 50 forms of acceptable ID listed on Elections Alberta’s website that can be one of those two pieces, from a library card or a hunting licence to a bank statement or vehicle registration.
Elections Alberta says it will accept expired forms of ID, including a certificate of Indian Status Card, provided it still has the correct name.
Another option, in special circumstances, is to bring an attestation form signed by an authorized person such as a First Nation band manager or a student housing staffer.
What if I’m not registered to vote?
A voting officer will ask you to sign a declaration that confirms your eligibility — including that you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old and that you normally reside in Alberta.
How many ballots are there?
There are 10 ballots, in different colours for easy identification. You can mark some of them, all of them or none. Your choice.
The ballots go into separate boxes to make it easier to count them and to lessen the chances of a mistake spoiling one long ballot.
What if I’m still in line when the polls close at 8 p.m.?
Stay in line. Don’t leave. You will be allowed to vote.
How long before I know the results?
By law, the votes need to be counted by hand within 48 hours.
Question 10 — about separation — is to be counted first. Officials say early results are to be released after 8 p.m. Monday, with the final count announced in the early hours Tuesday.
The results of the other nine questions should be completed and announced by Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
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. 16, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Cette page TikTok partage des clips de Cornemuse et les commentaires sont juste hilarants
Quand tu regardes ça avec des yeux d’adultes... 😬
Si tu étais enfant à la fin des années 1990, tu te rappelles surement de l'émission Cornemuse, qui jouait sur les ondes de Télé-Québec. Le personnage principal, Cornemuse, était une vétérinaire qui prenait soin de quatre enfants de quatre ans, soit Tibor le tigre, Rafi la ratonne, Kounga la kangourou et Bagou le singe.
Depuis le 3 mars dernier, le compte bon vieux temps sur TikTok partage des clips de l'émission jeunesse et cumule pas moins de 220 700 mentions « j'aime » ainsi que plus de 11 000 followers au moment d'écrire ces lignes. Ceux et celles qui écoutaient la série étant enfants réalisent plusieurs choses en la réécoutant à l'âge adulte et leurs commentaires sont juste hilarants.
Pour les deux premières vidéos mises en ligne, la personne responsable de la page TikTok a rassemblé quelques clips assez malaisants de l'émission, dont Rafi qui dit «gourne» au lieu de «gourde», Kounga qui traite Rafi de stupide, car celle-ci a construit une souris verte au lieu de blanche avec de la pâte à modelée ou encore Bagou qui regarde des photos de famille assez étranges.
Des internautes avaient même du mal à croire que c'était une émission qui leur plaisait à l'époque.
«OMG, c'était tellement malaisant, comment j'ai fait pour écouter ça, en [plus] c'était mon émission préf [plus] jeune. »
« Cornemuse c'était bizarre tout court. »
« J'me rappelais pas que c'était bad [de même] WTF.»
Parmi les dizaine de vidéos, le comportement de la ratonne Rafi fait particulièrement réagir, tandis que plusieurs disent qu'elle est toujours fâchée et en fait toujours des tonnes pour rien.
«Est* que Rafi était toujours fâchée bro. »
« Rafi était tellement drama queen jesus. »
« Rafi était toujours dans les moments cringes lmfao. »
Si l'envie te prend de réécouter les épisodes toi aussi, sache que quelques-unes des émissions sont sur YouTube. Connais-tu encore toutes les paroles de la chanson du générique «Toc, Toc, Toc. Bloc à bloc »? Ça reste à confirmer, mais tu pourras certainement voir si toi aussi, tu réagis différemment maintenant que tu regardes le tout avec tes yeux d'adulte.