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Here are five things to know about B.C.'s only televised election debate
Five things to know about B.C.'s televised debate
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
British Columbia's three main party leaders took part in the only televised debate on Wednesday night, trading barbs, criticizing their opponents' policies and making their pitch for votes.
Here are five take-aways from the debate between interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson, NDP Leader David Eby and Green Party Leader Emily Lowan:
Conservatives tried to bring down his government 13 times, Eby said.
Eby said neither he nor his party have been perfect while in government, but he defended his snap election call, saying he needed a stronger mandate to respond to tariff threats from the United States.
"This was not a government that was able to deliver the big swings that you and your family need government to be taking for you," he said.
Doerkson said his plan would benefit British Columbians with the lowest incomes
Doerkson said he would pay down the forecasted provincial deficit of $13.8 billion by supercharging the economy without introducing new taxes or raising existing ones.
He also defended plans to give British Columbians a tax cut, which he said would inject $2 billion into the provincial economy.
"When we give a break to business in British Columbia, they spend," he said. "They create an economy."
Top priority to advocate for a better electoral system, Lowan said.
Lowan said her party would push for election process if it held the balance of power in a minority government.
"A voting system where we're not caught between lesser evils, where we are choosing between broken promises or service cuts. And I think we can find that system in proportional representation."
Eby leaves a trail of broken promises, his opponents said.
Doerkson said B.C. residents no longer believe Eby.
"You have had a decade to try to fix what's happening in this province," Doerkson said.
Lowan noted Eby's decision to slow construction on seven long-term care projects.
"This year's election bribes are next year's broken promises."
Eby promised last week that the seven projects are back on track.
A surprise appearance by party leaders who didn't meet the threshold to take part in the debate.
CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko and interim OneBC leader Dallas Brodie delivered taped messages near the end of Wednesday's debate. They were once caucus colleagues within the Conservatives but split off.
Sturko described her party as socially progressive and fiscally responsible, saying she would bring a centrist voice to Victoria.
Brodie said her party would push for a 25 per cent income tax cut for both individuals and corporations, while promising to end the "greed and corruption" of what she called the reconciliation industry.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
By The Canadian Press | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Ottawa to announce $100 million toward offshore wind projects in Nova Scotia
Ottawa to announce $100M toward offshore wind
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Julia Nikhinson
The federal government is set to announce a $100-million commitment toward developing offshore wind energy in Nova Scotia in the hope of attracting private investment to projects like the province's Wind West plan.
Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson is expected to deliver the announcement in Halifax on Thursday morning. A media advisory says he is to be joined by Justice Minister Sean Fraser — whose riding brushes up against Halifax and who last month attended the world’s largest wind industry trade show in Germany.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, who has long called on Ottawa to help cover the costs of the Wind West project, is also set to be on hand for the announcement.
A senior government source, who was not authorized to publicly disclose details ahead of the announcement, said 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.
The provincial government says the first phase of Wind West is estimated to cost about $60 billion and would produce about five gigawatts of power as early as 2033. About $40 billion would be for turbine infrastructure, with another $20 billion for new transmission lines.
In June 2025, Houston said the province's plan to license enough offshore wind farms to produce five gigawatts of electricity would be increased eightfold to 40 gigawatts, well beyond the 2.4 gigawatts Nova Scotia needs.
Houston has said the excess electricity could be used to supply 27 per cent of Canada's total demand. Quebec and Massachusetts have already shown interest in buying electricity from the proposed project.
Thursday's announcement is also expected to include a $3-million commitment to expand modelling to include transmission of offshore wind power from Nova Scotia to Quebec and Ontario, and for underwater survey work to route transmission cables.
Earlier this year, Nova Scotia's offshore energy regulator signalled its intent to begin studying areas of the ocean that could be home to the first turbines of the Wind West project.
Although the federal government says more than 80 per cent of Canada's electricity comes from renewables — such as solar, hydro, nuclear and wind power — Ottawa has faced criticism in recent months from environmental groups over prioritizing conventional oil and gas projects rather than investing in more renewables.
In particular, Ottawa's electricity strategy unveiled in May aims to double Canada's grid. A key component of the strategy is leveraging a build out of natural gas.
Clean Energy Canada, a think tank at Simon Fraser University, said at the time the strategy "overstates the role of natural gas and understates the long-term energy security and affordability benefits of clean energy."
Marine Renewables Canada, the national association for the offshore wind industry, says the global offshore wind market is projected to be a trillion-dollar industry by 2040.
"And while Canada is home to some of the world's longest and most wind-rich coastlines, we have yet to install a single offshore wind turbine," the organization says.
"Nearly 30 countries are ahead of us, and in the North Sea alone, thousands of turbines now generate more than 30 gigawatts of power."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
— With files from Michael MacDonald and Devin Stevens in Halifax.
By Nick Murray | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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AI, resources and water bombers: Draft document maps Canada, EU path to closer ties
Draft document maps Canada-EU path to closer ties
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Canada and the European Union are laying out concrete steps to strengthen ties around digital security, critical resources and a would-be fleet of Canadian water bombers, according to a draft joint statement ahead of a major summit at month’s end.
The document, seen by The Canadian Press, states that Ottawa and Brussels aim to let Canadian companies bid on cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure contracts typically reserved for European companies in another push away from dependence on the United States.
Dubbed an “alliance for the future,” the renewed partnership also launches plans for Canada to join in Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system and wraps up a deal to facilitate European investment in Canadian critical minerals, according to the leaked statement.
It further announces the joint purchase of 50 Canadian-made De Havilland water bombers it claims will be ready for use in fighting wildfires in 2030.
More broadly, the statement showcases the ongoing effort to shore up links in areas ranging from trade to education and the military, as Canada and the European Union try to guard against a less reliable America and take up the flag of “the rules-based international order.”
The challenge lies in fending off backlash from the White House and continuing to bolster cross-Atlantic bonds beyond the next election cycle, said Patrick Leblond, an associate professor of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa.
“The Americans, they’re playing a power game. For them, if Canada and other countries band together in a way to reduce their dependence on the U.S., the current U.S. administration — and potentially others in the future — will try to prevent that from happening,” Leblond said.
“Divide and conquer, that’s the power approach.”
The draft statement, dated Sept. 22, pledges to “strengthen digital sovereignty” and align emerging regulatory frameworks “through associated country status for Canada” under the European Commission’s proposed Cloud and AI Development Act.
That means Canada would be treated as a member country when it comes to bidding on contracts for critical digital infrastructure.
“Whether it’s Google, Amazon, Microsoft, we’re very dependent on these platforms. And as we know, it could be weaponized against our economy, against our governments,” said Leblond.
“The message here is, let’s work together. We trust each other.”
The provision comes after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed last month that Canada become the first associate member of the European Union.
Where possible, European contractors are already inclined to work with Canadian firms over American ones because of the export controls the United States tends to impose on sales to a third-country market, said Wendy Gilmour, vice-chair of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute.
However, persuading U.S.-oriented tech firms in Canada to cast their eyes toward Europe could pose a hurdle.
“There’s been a slow take-up by Canadian business because Canadian business has just been so used to working with the American market,” Gilmour said.
“It’s easy. It’s English speaking. It’s just a simpler prospect than to work in a European regulatory environment with 27 different countries.”
The Canada-EU summit, set for Oct. 29 and 30 in Montreal, will see Prime Minister Mark Carney host von der Leyen, European Council president António Costa and other EU leaders.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
By Christopher Reynolds | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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La version québécoise de Survivor dévoile sa première bande-annonce et tu peux t'inscrire
Es-tu game?
Tu es fan des émissions d'endurance, de stratégies et de trahisons? Alors tu seras bien content.e d'apprendre que Novoo adaptera la série américaine Survivor. C'est le 14 septembre que la première bande-annonce est sortie pour dévoiler que l'émission sera diffusée ce printemps, et tu peux même déjà t'inscrire.
L'animateur Patrice Bélanger se rendra aux Philippines avec les participant.es pendant 40 jours et les candidat.es devront jouer sans merci dans l'espoir de gagner le gros lot de 100 000 $.
Si tu n'es pas familier.ère avec le concept américain, ce sont 16 à 20 candidat.es qui se rendent sur une île paradisiaque, mais loin du confort de la civilisation, et sont ensuite séparé.es en deux équipes. Chaque semaine, iels doivent participer à des défis autant physiques que mentaux dans le but de remporter l'immunité, des privilèges ou des objets de confort.
Sur l’île pendant plus d'un mois, les participant.es devront construire leurs propres abris, faire des feux, trouver leur nourriture en plus de se faire compétition jusqu'à la fin.
Tu as envie de devenir le ou la dernier.ère survivant.e? Tu as jusqu'au 2 octobre à 23 h 59 pour remplir le formulaire d'inscription en y mettant une photo de toi, en plus d'une vidéo de deux minutes où tu te présentes en expliquant quelles sont tes raisons pour t'inscrire et ce que tu ferais avec le prix.
Si tu crois avoir la force mentale et physique pour te dépasser et survivre aux intempéries, tu peux aller sur Noovo pour t'inscrire. Sinon, tu dois attendre au printemps pour regarder la version québécoise de Survivor à la télévision.