BC Green Leader Emily Lowan wins bid for riding on Vancouver Island
The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting victory for BC Greens Leader Emily Lowan in the Vancouver Island riding of Saanich North and the Islands.
Lowan became leader of the provincial Greens in September 2025, succeeding Sonia Furstenau.
At 26, Lowan is among the youngest leaders of a major political party in Canada.
She takes over the riding from fellow Green Rob Botterell, who won the seat in 2024 but decided not to seek re-election.
The riding is a Green stronghold, having been held by Adam Olsen from 2017 to 2024.
Before leading the Greens, Lowan was a climate action activist who played a key role in a student-led campaign at the University of Victoria that resulted in the school directing investments away from fossil fuels.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.
By Nono Shen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Carney tours Kariye Mosque in Istanbul before departing Turkey
After three days spent fostering tighter economic and political ties with Turkey, Prime Minister Mark Carney closed out his trip at one of Istanbul's many great cultural landmarks.
Carney visited the Kariye Mosque in Istanbul on Saturday morning with his wife, Diana Fox Carney.
The mosque was once a Byzantine church and is renowned for its historic architecture and its beautiful frescoes and mosaics. The structure itself has evolved through Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and modern Turkish history.
A backgrounder document from the prime minister's office said the site was chosen to underscore "Canada's recognition of the importance of cultural heritage as a bridge between peoples and nations."
The solemnity of Carney's visit gave way to an unexpected Canadian moment when a tourist visiting from Canada caught the prime minister on his way out of the mosque.
"Go Oilers!" the man shouted, referring to Carney's love of the Edmonton Oilers. The prime minister replied, "It looks good this year. Wait until the playoffs."
The tour marks the end of the first bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkey.
Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan forged a new strategic partnership between Canada and Turkey after meeting in Ankara on Thursday.
That agreement will see the two countries collaborate more closely in areas like defence and energy and set the stage for Canada and Turkey to begin free-trade talks in the coming weeks.
The trip to Turkey came in the context of Carney's broader efforts to diversify Canada's trading relationships and reduce reliance on the United States.
"Our goal is not self-sufficiency; it is collective resilience," Carney said in a joint statement with Erdogan.
"That's why Canada is building deeper partnerships with reliable partners that create new opportunities for us both. And in Turkey, we have an exceptional partner."
Erdogan called Carney a "dear friend" in his own remarks and signalled that he plans to lead a business delegation to Canada in the future.
Canada and Turkey have not always seen eye-to-eye. Human rights have previously been an irritant in the relationship, and Carney's efforts to deepen ties with Turkey come as the country faces international scrutiny over a crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights.
The prime minister told reporters that "engagement is not approval" when it comes to doing business with countries that don't share Canada's values.
Canada raised human rights during its discussions with Turkish officials, Carney said, though he didn't confirm whether he raised the topic directly with Erdogan.
Carney met with a number of business leaders and investment firms in Istanbul, including representatives from Turkish Airlines.
During the trip, Canadian and Turkish officials formalized an expanded air transportation agreement that could eventually nearly double the number of direct flights between the nations.
Carney is set to depart Turkey on Saturday afternoon and is expected to return to Ottawa by early evening.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.
By Craig Lord | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
British Columbians vote in early election, with David Eby's job on the line
British Columbians go to the polls today in an early election called by NDP Leader David Eby in the biggest gamble of his political life.
The five-week campaign saw the major parties fight over issues from health care to housing, the province's record deficit and the increasing cost of living.
Polls open at 8.a.m. and close at 8 p.m. in the snap election that Eby called two years early, initially saying he needed a new mandate to tackle challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
But Eby said Friday the election was needed to end the frustrations of a "stalled out" legislature where the NDP held a one-seat majority, and he regretted not making that clearer.
Interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson secured his party's top job two days before the election call in September, and managed to woo back legislators who quit the party under the divisive leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
It's Green Party Leader Emily Lowan's first provincial election and Eby spent the closing days of the campaign urging her party's supporters to consider voting NDP to prevent splitting the vote.
The legislature at dissolution officially consisted of 47 New Democrats, 29 Conservatives, two Greens and 13 Independents, with two vacant seats.
But that does not take into account that most of the nominal Independents were Conservatives who returned to the party after Doerkson became interim leader — they may not all be reflected in the official numbers, but the Conservatives went into the election holding about 37 seats.
Elections BC has said votes cast on election day will be counted by hand, despite electronic tabulators being used for the first time in 2024. The agency cited the tight timelines in the snap election and the technical requirements to get the machines up and running.
Mail-in and absentee ballots won't be counted until about two weeks after election day, with Elections BC saying it needed time to ensure that only eligible voters vote, and only once.
More than 891,000 advance votes were cast, representing about 24 per cent of all registered voters.
The campaign saw the NDP propose a new tax bracket for those making more than $1 million to help fund health care, while pledging price caps on some basic groceries and to create a training program for qualified international medical graduates already living in B.C.
The Conservatives promised no tax increases and to raise B.C.’s basic personal income tax exemption from $13,216 to $32,000, resulting in a $1,000 tax cut for most individual workers.
Doerkson said his top priority was repealing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
The Greens promised to tax household wealth over $50 million, to open a community health centre in every riding, and to reform the province's oil and gas royalty framework.
Other parties contending for votes include CentreBC, led by former Conservative Elenore Sturko, and OneBC, whose interim leader Dallas Brodie is another former Conservative.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Un dîner tout en blanc débarque à Québec dans un lieu secret et ça s'annonce magique
Gastronomie, party et paysage magnifique!
Tu n'as pas besoin de chercher quoi faire à Québec pour passer un moment magique dans cette ville pittoresque ce mois-ci, puisque le Diner en Blanc (DEB) est de retour après cinq ans d'absence et c'est l'événement estival à ne pas manquer. Imagine la scène : tu as minutieusement élaboré ta tenue originale d'un blanc immaculé, ton pique-nique est préparé ou réservé, puis tu te rends à un point de rencontre prédéterminé avant d'être mené.e vers un lieu secret où une vague de personnes en habits monochromes se rassemble pour un moment gastronomique chic d’inspiration française et festif à souhait.
Après avoir mangé, place à la fête sous le ciel étoilé, lancée en allumant des sparklers distribués aux invité.e.s. Danse, musique live et ambiance électrisante sont au programme.
Voilà ce qui t'attend au fameux DEB qui célèbre du même coup son dixième anniversaire dans un esprit mettant la mode, la nourriture et la convivialité à l'honneur
Si le lieu reste secret, l'organisation te promet un emplacement remarquable, alors que des éditons passées ont envahies le Grand Théâtre de Québec, le Quai 22 au Port de Québec et le Jardin Saint-Roch, pour te donner une idée. Cela dit, note qu'il y a certaines règles à respecter afin de participer.
Les personnes qui le souhaitent pourront donc apporter leur propre repas ainsi que leur vin et leur champagne (les deux seuls types d'alcools permis afin de respecter l'influence française de l'événement), ou réserver l'un des deux menus conçus pour la fête.
Ceux-ci offrent trois à quatre services pour deux personnes et détiennent chacun au moins un plat proposé par des chefs locaux de renom comme Arnaud Marchand et Olivier Langlois de Chez Boulay, Pierre Gagnon de Le Bedeau ainsi que Emeline Pero de Les Botanistes.
Tu peux sélectionner La boîte découverte à 85 $, qui inclut un parfait de foie gras au nard des pinèdes avec confit d'échalotes à l'aronie et pain brioché, du saumon confit badigeonné d'une laque miroir de vin rouge présenté avec une émulsion d'algues, et pour le dessert, une tartelette au citron meringué et osmanthus.
La seconde option est affichée à 110 $ et se compose d'une burrata farcie au praliné amandes et fruits séchés, d'un gravlax de flétan de la Gaspésie servi avec rhubarbe, agastache, cucurbitacées et riz soufflés, d'une mosaïque de poireaux au nori et magret de canard cuit au sel, ainsi que d'un tiramisu aux épices et grains du Québec.
Tu as déjà l'eau à la bouche? Alors, n'hésite pas à réserver ta place dès maintenant sur le site du DEB.
Le Diner en Blanc de Québec
Prix : 51 $ par personne pour l'inscription - À partir de 85 $ par repas pour deux personnes
Quand : Le 22 août 2024
Adresse : Un lieu secret dévoilé quelques minutes avant l’événement
Site Internet du Diner en Blanc