Carney to bring his pro-Canada campaign to Edmonton with referendum just days away
Prime Minister Mark Carney continues his pro-Canada campaign in Alberta as the clock ticks down to a referendum on whether the province should break up with Confederation.
He is set to visit Red Deer with Premier Danielle Smith today and later rally in Edmonton with the federalist group Forever Canadian.
Carney spoke Thursday at one of the group's rallies in Calgary, telling the crowd of roughly 5,000 that a vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that could lead to years of lost opportunities.
He says frustrations in Alberta are real but that Canada is working in the spirit of co-operative federalism.
Smith has put 10 questions on Monday's referendum, including one on whether Alberta should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding vote on leaving.
Meanwhile, Smith and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will both speak at a conference in Calgary about keeping Alberta in the Confederation fold.
With voters just days away from the polls, those who attended Thursday's rally said Albertans in favour of separation have valid concerns, but Canada is worth fighting for.
"We've got everything we need here and we're stronger together than we are apart," said Bill Chan, who lives in Calgary.
Chan said he heard from Carney's remarks a more "conciliatory" tone in how Ottawa would treat provinces and territories going forward, notably Alberta.
He also said parts of the prime minister's speech hit home.
"What he said about Canada being a country that was built historically by people banding together really stuck out for me," Chan said.
"Because if history is any guide, going separate ways has never proven to be as strong and as impactful as doing things together."
Carney told those gathered that the referendum comes at the worst possible time.
The world has grown more dangerous and divided, he said, and some outside Canada's borders were working to "break us so they can own us."
"At this pivotal moment, Albertans have a choice: to build a stronger Alberta and an even greater Canada to leave for our children or we can burden them with years of deep division and great uncertainty," he said.
"What we need is a decisive result on Monday to settle this question."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
— With files from Dayne Patterson in Calgary
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
At Toronto event, Margaret Atwood reiterates need for due process in Galloway case
As Steven Galloway concluded his testimony in his defamation trial in Vancouver, in Toronto, author Margaret Atwood reiterated her stance as a defender of due process in his case.
Atwood, who was receiving an award at a Journalists for Human Rights event, spoke about her decision to sign an open letter in November 2016 calling for an investigation into how the University of British Columbia handled the Galloway case.
Atwood faced intense backlash and scrutiny from the public after expressing support for the former UBC professor, comparing the online criticism to the French Revolution.
“Luckily, I couldn’t be fired from the university or blacklisted from festivals,” she said. “Or if I was, I didn’t notice.”
She also referred to Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which calls for “the right of every human being to a fair, open and impartial trial.”
She lamented the Canadian media's reluctance to cover the case over the last eight years. Atwood has written opinion articles, most recently in the Vancouver Sun this week, in support of Galloway. She added that legacy media publications face growing pressures and dwindling revenue, which make it difficult to “defend against lawsuits.”
“This has made them more cautious,” she added.
Atwood also worried that social media has made the public more distrustful with a growing tendency to believe anything posted online.
Galloway, known for the award-winning novel “The Cellist of Sarajevo,” is in the middle of a defamation trial against several people who he alleges published unproven allegations of sexual assault.
One of the defendants includes a former student, known as A.B., who made sexual assault allegations against him that later spread on social media. Galloway was fired from UBC shortly after rumours of the accusations spread in late 2015.
He was a tenured professor and the former chair of UBC’s creative writing program.
A report produced by a former judge for the university concluded that the accusations against Galloway were unsubstantiated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
By Sadeen Mohsen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Canada must diversify trade away from the U.S. for security reasons: Freeland
Former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland says it's important for national security reasons that Canada do everything it can to diversify trade away from the United States.
During a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Thursday, Freeland said it's dangerous to deepen or maintain a close economic relationship with a partner who "openly says they want to take you over."
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about turning Canada into the 51st state and, while he ruled out using military force to annex the country in January 2025, has said he would consider using "economic force."
Even if the U.S. had a president who believed in free trade with Canada, Freeland says being dependent on any one partner is "not a great idea."
Freeland's new book, “Unreliable Boyfriend,” was released this week and is part international analysis about the evolving role of the United States and part political memoir.
Its title is a reference to a comment she made on an American talk show in February, when she said the U.S. is "not a very reliable boyfriend right now."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
By Catherine Morrison | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Urgences-santé engage des étudiants pour l'été et c'est payé jusqu'à 22,91 $/h
Et tu n'as pas besoin d'être ambulancier.
Si tu n'as pas encore trouvé une job pour cet été, sache que l'organisation ambulancière Urgences-santé recrute présentement des étudiant.es à temps plein pour la saison estivale. L'équipe médicale recherche des préposé.es à l'entretien pour les ambulances, les équipements et la bâtisse. Tu pourrais recevoir un salaire allant jusqu'à 22,91 $ de l'heure et même t'ouvrir des portes dans le domaine de la santé.
Pour appliquer, quelques conditions sont demandées. Tu devras donc t'assurer de posséder un diplôme d'études secondaires, de détenir un permis de conduire de classe 5, d'être capable de soulever des charges d'au moins 40 kg et bien parler et écrire le français. Si tu as déjà travaillé dans un poste similaire ou que tu possèdes déjà des connaissances médicales, c'est encore mieux.
Si tu es choisi.e, tu auras plusieurs tâches à accomplir comme vérifier la conformité des équipements, effectuer des réparations et faire l'inventaire ainsi que le nettoyage du matériel paramédical. Tu devras vraiment t'assurer que tout fonctionne bien pour que le personnel de gestions de crise, comme les ambulancier.ères, puissent bien faire leur travail. Tu pourrais aussi être amené.e à t'occuper de l'inspection des véhicules d'urgence. Les quarts de travail par jour peuvent être assez longs et sont généralement de 8 à 12 heures.
L'offre comprend des avantages non négligeables comme un salaire horaire plus élevé que le salaire minimum au Québec ainsi que plusieurs avantages sociaux. Tu pourrais aussi recevoir des primes de soir, de nuit ou de fin de semaine.
Si tu souhaites avoir un emploi durant ta scolarité, Urgences-santé mentionne dans son offre que tu pourrais bien avoir l'option de travailler à temps partiel durant l'année scolaire si tu désires rester dans l'équipe.
Sache par contre que les disponibilités demandées sont plutôt particulières. Tu devras être disponible 24/7 et une fin de semaine sur deux pour une période de quatre mois. Tu seras placé.e sur une liste de rappel, aucun nombre d'heures de travail n'est garanti, mais dès ton inscription sur la liste tu as la chance d'accumuler de l'ancienneté.
Il te faudra aussi être disponible pour te déplacer aux trois centres d'Urgences-santé soit à Montréal, Laval et à Lasalle.
Préposé.e chez Urgences-santé
Salaire : entre 19,95 $ et 22,91 $
Compagnie : Urgences-santé
Applique ici