Saskatchewan politician says paid nearly $30K for private jets; NDP wants answers
A Saskatchewan Party backbencher says he paid close to $30,000 out of his own pocket for two trips on a private jet and that one of those flights was for government business.
Kevin Weedmark released a letter Tuesday from Maurice Herauf, the province's conflict of interest commissioner, who provided his opinion on the airfare expenses.
Herauf wrote in the Sept. 18 letter that Weedmark's invoices indicate he paid for the flights with his own money and therefore did not violate a section of Conflict of Interest Act.
"Since you paid for the flights from your personal funds there is absolutely no financial benefit that can be attributed to your decision to fly to functions on either date," Herauf wrote.
The letter says Weedmark had asked Herauf to provide an opinion on his flights after the Opposition NDP had flagged it as a concern.
The trips took place over the course of a year.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Weedmark spent $8,271 on a private jet to fly the owners of the Moosomin Dairy Queen and two of their family members to the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon for a tour. The Dairy Queen had raised $42,000 for the hospital and Weedmark was one of their volunteers. Herauf wrote the trip was private in nature.
On Aug. 27 of this year, Weedmark spent $20,106 on another jet for two government functions in the province before making a stop in Regina and then flying back to Moosomin. One of the functions was an official opening of an addictions treatment facility in Lloydminster on the Alberta boundary, and the other was to celebrate the anniversary of a seniors complex in Saskatoon.
The letter says the health minister's office had requested Weedmark attend both events, as Weedmark is also the minister's legislative secretary. Weedmark has also said it would have been difficult for him to drive to Lloydminster in time, so he chose to fly.
However, the Opposition NDP says Weedmark still needs to show the receipts to prove he didn't improperly benefit from his role as a legislature member.
Earlier Tuesday, the NDP sent a letter to Herauf asking for an opinion on whether Weedmark breached conflict of interest rules.
Meara Conway, the NDP's health critic, said she wants to know if Weedmark had paid commercial value for the flights. She said the NDP got a private jet quote for a similar aircraft. That quote came in above $20,000.
"If the flight was below commercial value, it was a prohibited gift or personal benefit under (the act)," she said. "The rules exist to make sure that decisions are being made in the public interest."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026.
By Jeremy Simes | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Quebec’s incoming and outgoing premiers meet ahead of transition of power
Outgoing Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette stressed the importance of collaboration on Tuesday after meeting with Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to discuss the transition of power.
The two leaders said they discussed the economy, unemployment, relations with the United States, and the Churchill Falls hydroelectric agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador during a meeting that lasted just under 50 minutes in Quebec City.
Both leaders emerged from the meeting side-by-side, delivering brief statements to reporters, without taking questions.
“We touched on all kinds of urgent and sensitive issues,” said St-Pierre Plamondon, who will lead a minority government in the Quebec legislature.
“I leave this meeting very satisfied,” he added, thanking Fréchette’s team for its co-operation. “We are looking at an orderly transition, marked by collaboration.”
Fréchette also stressed the importance of ensuring a smooth handover of power.
“It’s important to ensure a co-ordinated, proper transition,” she said. “Our teams will exchange information on the next steps.”
The meeting took place at the premier’s office in Quebec City’s Honoré-Mercier building. St-Pierre Plamondon will be able to officially move into the office after he and his cabinet are sworn in on Oct. 21.
Before then, newly elected Parti Québécois politicians are scheduled to be sworn in as members of Quebec's national assembly on Thursday.
The meeting between Fréchette and St-Pierre Plamondon comes eight days after Quebecers elected a minority Parti Québécois government in the Oct. 5 provincial election, bringing the sovereigntist party back to power for the first time since 2014.
The PQ won 59 seats, while the Quebec Liberals secured 40 seats to form the official Opposition. The Conservatives won 19 seats and Québec solidaire took nine.
The Coalition Avenir Québec, which had governed the province since 2018, failed to elect a single member.
On election night, Fréchette said she took “full responsibility” for her party’s defeat. She announced the following day that she was resigning as CAQ leader.
Meanwhile, a source within the Parti Québécois said Tuesday it is seeking a judicial recount in the riding of Champlain, in Quebec’s Mauricie region, where its candidate lost by 191 votes to a Conservative candidate.
The Canadian Press agreed not to identify the source because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.
The party official said alleged irregularities had been identified during the counting of ballots on Oct. 5; approximately 80 ballots were missing from one ballot box and another 30 from a second box.
Conservative Adriana Szalontai defeated PQ candidate René Branchaud in the riding.
Quebec’s election law allows a recount to be requested when the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-thousandth of the votes cast.
Although the margin in Champlain does not meet that threshold, the PQ official said it believes it has sufficient grounds to convince the Court of Quebec to grant its request.
The Court of Quebec confirmed Tuesday that it had granted the PQ's request for a recount in Vachon, a riding in Longueuil, on the south shore of Montreal, where Liberal Affine Lwalalika defeated PQ candidate Stephan Fogaing by just 10 votes.
The recount for the Vachon riding is scheduled to begin Oct. 19 and is expected to last three days.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026.
— with files by Caroline Plante from Quebec City
By Patrice Bergeron | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
7 choses à savoir sur Jacob Fowler des Canadiens de Montréal
De recrue à vedette montante, le gardien n'a pas fini de faire jaser! 👀
La situation devant le filet des Canadiens de Montréal continue de soulever les passions. Si Jakub Dobeš a été le héros du Centre Bell lors des séries éliminatoires le printemps dernier, la recrue Jacob Fowler ne donne pas sa place et s’impose déjà comme l’un des joueurs à surveiller cette saison.
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Rappelé du Rocket de Laval après la blessure de Samuel Montembeault, le gardien de 21 ans a volé la vedette samedi dernier, le 10 octobre, au Centre Bell. Il a signé un jeu blanc de 30 arrêts dans une victoire de 1à 0 en tirs de barrage contre les Red Wings de Detroit, sans compter les six patineurs qu’il a stoppés en fusillade. Signe que l'entraîneur Martin St-Louis lui fait confiance, il sera devant le filet pour un troisième match d’affilée ce mardi 13 octobre, contre les Sabres de Buffalo.
Comme tu n’as pas fini d’entendre scander son nom au Centre Bell, voici sept faits intéressants sur Jacob Fowler, le hockeyeur qui fait déjà rêver les fans.
Il vient de la Floride
Le numéro 32 du Tricolore est né à Melbourne, sur la côte est de la Floride, aux États-Unis. Il est d'ailleurs le premier gardien de but floridien dans l'histoire de la Ligue nationale de hockey (LNH).
Il est Sagittaire
Né le 24 novembre 2004, sous le signe du Sagittaire, Jacob Fowler fêtera ses 22 ans le mois prochain. Il est donc le deuxième joueur le plus jeune du CH, après Ivan Demidov (20 ans).
Il est fan des Canadiens de Montréal depuis son enfance
Même s’il a grandi en Floride, Jacob Fowler a toujours eu le CH dans le cœur. Au repêchage de 2023, il a raconté à NHL.com qu’enfant, il portait un chandail des Canadiens lors de sa toute première journée comme gardien. « J’ai des frissons chaque fois que je pense au jour où je porterai le chandail des Canadiens », avait-il ajouté. Mission accomplie depuis!
Il a de la famille à Montréal et au Québec
Si Fowler parle du Québec avec autant d’affection, c’est qu’une partie de ses racines est d’ici. Plusieurs membres de sa famille éloignée viennent de Montréal et de la province, puisque son grand-père s'est remarié avec une Québécoise. Il a d'ailleurs fait plusieurs voyages de ce côté-ci de la frontière dans sa jeunesse.
Fowler a étudié en communications
Avant de débarquer devant le filet du Bleu-blanc-rouge, Jacob Fowler a passé deux saisons avec les Eagles de Boston College, de 2023 à 2025, tout en étudiant en communications. Son programme l’obligeait à suivre un cours de langue étrangère, et son choix s’est naturellement arrêté sur le français.
« C’est très important pour moi d’apprendre la langue, a-t-il déjà mentionné en entrevue. Je souhaite le faire par respect pour l’organisation et ses partisans, mais aussi pour mieux comprendre la culture québécoise. »
Même s’il a délaissé les bancs d’école à temps plein pour le hockey professionnel, il poursuivrait ses études en ligne dans le but d’obtenir son diplôme.
Il a fait ses débuts avec le CH en décembre 2025
C’est le 11 décembre 2025 que Jacob Fowler a enfin réalisé son rêve. Rappelé du Rocket de Laval alors que Samuel Montembeault et Jakub Dobeš connaissaient des difficultés, il a fait ses débuts à Pittsburgh et a mené le CH à une victoire de 4 à 2. Un clin d’œil du destin pour celui qui a grandi en étant fan de Sidney Crosby, qui l’a d’ailleurs bombardé de sept tirs sans jamais le déjouer.
Sa famille l’a toujours suivi
Jacob Fowler est le fils de Kerri et Jay Fowler, et il a un frère, surnommé Jay Jay. Sa famille était d'ailleurs présente dans les gradins de l'aréna à Pittsburgh lors de ses débuts avec la Sainte-Flanelle.
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