Vue lecture

Morning Update: How to move a river

Good morning. A new park that will be unveiled tomorrow in Toronto is an ambitious example of moving rivers to bring civic imagination to public spaces. More on that below, plus catching up on First Nation leaders meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Bill C-5 and Ukraine’s cabinet shuffle. But first:

Today’s headlines

© Sammy Kogan

Part of Biidaasige Park nears completion on July 16.

Why First Nations are clashing with Ontario and Ottawa over bills aimed at speeding up megaprojects

Keisha Paulmartin of Okiniwak Youth Led Movement speaks on Thursday at a protest at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., where Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Indigenous chiefs the same day.

First Nations leaders have opposed both the federal government’s Bill C-5 and Ontario’s Bill 5, pieces of legislation that would allow the two governments extraordinary powers to ignore existing laws – including environmental regulations – to fast-track megaprojects such as mines or pipelines.

They say the two bills run roughshod over the constitutional requirement that governments consult First Nations about development on their traditional territories. A group of nine First Nations in Ontario launched a constitutional challenge this week of both Ontario’s and Canada’s bills.

After 18 years of work, Toronto’s Port Lands opens to the public

On a sunny July afternoon, the Don River flowed into Toronto Harbour. Its banks were lined with lake sedge, switchgrass and Canada anemone. Paths and bridges laced through the landscape, which looked as if they had always been there.

In fact, this stretch of river and its surrounding lands − now known as Biidaasige Park − are entirely manufactured. They are not a work of nature but a feat of civic imagination.

They are the product of a $1.5-billion effort known as the Port Lands Flood Protection Project, which has redrawn the mouth of the Don and conjured vast new public spaces from what had long been a civic afterthought.

© Sammy Kogan

Part of Biidaasige Park nears completion on July 17, 2025, as preparations remain underway ahead of its public opening in Toronto’s Port Lands. (Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail)

Minister restores drug funding for B.C. girl with rare disease

B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne said Thursday that she has reinstated the funding for Charleigh Pollock.

Funding for a nine-year-old girl who has an extremely rare neurodegenerative disease has been restored by the British Columbia government.

Health Minister Josie Osborne said Thursday that she has reinstated the funding for Charleigh Pollock for the drug Brineura, which costs about $1 million a year.

Army removes commanding officer after alleged racist, sexual social-media posts by soldiers

Army commander Lieutenant-General Michael Wright said he was taking steps to address the 'inappropriate behaviour' of members involved in the Facebook group.

The commanding officer of the Cameron Highlanders, an Ottawa reservist unit, has been temporarily removed from his position in the aftermath of a controversy involving soldiers who are alleged to have posted racist comments and sexual images in a private Facebook group.

Army commander Lieutenant-General Michael Wright said in a statement released to media Thursday that he was taking steps to address the “inappropriate behaviour” of Canadian Army members involved in the “Blue Hackle Mafia” Facebook group.

Alberta Auditor-General says province failing to ensure daycares use funds to cut fees for parents

Alberta’s Auditor-General says the provincial government has not done the work to ensure daycares getting public funds use them to lower fees for parents or top up staff wages.

Doug Wylie, in a report released Thursday, says without proper verification, Alberta could be overcompensating operators with federal and provincial funds meant to lower the average cost of daycare to $10 per day.

“There is a risk that public funds may not be used as intended – leading to parents overpaying for child-care and educators being under-compensated,” the report says.

© JASON FRANSON

The Alberta legislature is seen in Edmonton, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Canada and New Zealand reach resolution in dairy trade dispute, Ottawa says

Under the new agreement, Canada has committed to make commercially meaningful changes to the way it administers its dairy quotas under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, according to the New Zealand government.

Canada and New Zealand have reached a “mutually satisfactory” resolution to a long-running dispute over access for dairy products, the federal government said in a statement on Thursday.

“This agreement, negotiated in close consultation with Canadian dairy stakeholders, will result in certain minor policy changes to Canada’s TRQ (tariff rate quotas) administration, and does not amend Canada’s market access commitments,” International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald said in a statement.

No grounds to charge officer in death of Thunder Bay woman, Ontario police watchdog says

A law firm representing Jenna Ostberg’s family says they are 'deeply disappointed' with the findings of the SIU investigation.

Ontario’s police watchdog says it found no grounds to lay a criminal charge against a Thunder Bay officer who approved the cancellation of a domestic disturbance call hours before a woman was found dead in a home.

The Special Investigations Unit has released a report on its investigation into the death of 21-year-old Jenna Ostberg, who the agency said was found without vital signs in a closet in her boyfriend’s bedroom on Dec. 30, 2023. 

New Brunswick reaches 13 measles cases, more than double previous count

The number of confirmed measles cases in New Brunswick’s south-central region has more than doubled over the past 24 hours.

Public health officials say there are 13 confirmed cases of the contagious infection in Sussex, N.B., up from five on Wednesday.

Dr. Kimberley Barker, regional medical officer of health for Sussex, said earlier in the week she suspected there could be more cases because some infected people could simply stay home and not seek medical attention.

© Christian Chavez

A health worker prepares a dose of the measles vaccine at a health centre in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Christian Chavez)

Accused in Quadeville alleged sexual assault appears in Pembroke court

Community members are shocked to learn that a 17-year-old, who was arrested on July 8, was allegedly behind the attack, and not an animal.

The 17-year-old accused of the attack in Quadeville, Ont., of an eight-year-old girl, whose injuries were initially believed to have been caused by an animal, made a brief appearance in a Pembroke court on Thursday.

The accused, whose identity is protected under Ontario’s Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon on a person under 16 years old.

Search for more remains of slain Indigenous women in Manitoba landfill concludes

The Manitoba government says a search for the remains of two slain First Nations women at the Prairie Green Landfill, shown on February 26, officially concluded on July 9.

The search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two slain First Nations women has concluded with a new search soon set to begin at a different site for another victim.

The Manitoba government announced Thursday that crews finished looking last week through the Prairie Green landfill, just north of Winnipeg, for remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran. They were among four First Nations women murdered by serial killer Jeremy Skibicki in 2022.

Under new Quebec rules now in effect, restaurants can charge up to $10 for no-shows

Quebec restaurant owners can now charge a fee to people who make a reservation but don’t show up.

Under new rules in effect on Thursday, restaurants can charge up to $10 for each no-show.

An association representing Quebec restaurant owners has estimated that no-shows cost the average eatery about $49,000 per year.

© Graham Hughes

People are shown inside a restaurant in Old Montreal on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Alleged plane hijacker called himself ‘messiah’ day before Vancouver airport security scare

Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C.

The day before the suspected hijacking of a light aircraft triggered a security scare at Vancouver’s airport this week, former commercial pilot Shaheer Cassim posted on social media that he was a “messenger of Allah” sent to save humanity from climate change.

A 39-year-old man with the same name has now been charged with hijacking, constituting terrorism, over the incident on Tuesday that saw Norad scramble F-15 fighter jets before the light plane safely landed.

© DARRYL DYCK

A worker moves luggage trolleys outside Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Removing interprovincial trade barriers would add 30,000 annual housing starts: CMHC

New homes are constructed in Ottawa on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. A new analysis by the national housing agency estimates Canada can add 30,000 more housing starts annually by eliminating interprovincial trade barriers.

A new analysis by the national housing agency estimates Canada could add 30,000 more housing starts annually by eliminating interprovincial trade barriers.

That would push the total number of annual housing starts close to 280,000 over time, which would represent a “meaningful step towards fixing Canada’s housing supply gap,” Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said in a report Thursday.

Morning Update: The condo market has cratered

Good morning. Canada built a boatload of new condos that nobody wants to buy now – more on that below, along with Mark Carney’s hopes for a deal on softwood lumber and Genie Bouchard’s last tennis match. But first:

Today’s headlines

© Sammy Kogan

Toronto's preconstruction condo market is in rough shape.

Danielle Smith faces criticism, anger at Edmonton town hall

The event was the second of a series of town halls Premier Danielle Smith is holding across the province

After receiving a warm welcome and widespread support just 24 hours earlier, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith faced a more vocally critical and frustrated crowd as she and her hand-picked panel members assembled in Edmonton for the second of a series of summer town halls.

“We sound like bratty children,” said Roberta Stasyk, a resident of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., who was one of many speakers who showed up to voice their frustration.

Former commercial pilot charged with hijacking and terrorism over Vancouver flight

Landings at Vancouver International Airport were stopped for more than half an hour on Tuesday afternoon.

A man charged with hijacking a light plane at Victoria International Airport and flying it to Vancouver had an “ideological motive to disrupt airspace” and seized control of the aircraft after threatening a flight instructor, RCMP said Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said a charge of hijacking had been filed in Richmond, B.C., constituting a “terrorist activity” and a “terrorist offence” under two sections of the Criminal Code.

© DARRYL DYCK

A worker moves luggage trolleys outside Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, December 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Police examining blanket, other items found during search for missing Nova Scotia children

Jack and Lilly Sullivan were reported missing on May 2.

Mounties say a pink blanket, found on a gravel road near the home of Jack and Lilly Sullivan on day one of the search for the missing Nova Scotia children, is one of a variety of seized items that is being forensically examined as part of an “intensive” and “deliberate” major crime investigation.

In an update Wednesday, the Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit said family confirmed the pink blanket belonged to Lilly, 6, who mysteriously disappeared along with her brother Jack, 4, from their home in Lansdowne more than two months ago.

Teen girl to be tried by judge after student set on fire at Saskatoon school

A teen girl accused of lighting a fellow high school student on fire last year will be tried by judge alone, a Saskatoon court heard Wednesday.

Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench Justice Mona Dovell made the decision after it was requested by the girl’s lawyer.

Court also heard the girl plans to be assessed by a psychiatrist before a trial date is set.

© Liam Richards

Evan Hardy Collegiate, a Saskatoon high school where an assault and fire had taken place, is shown in Saskatoon, Sask., on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards

Montreal’s Trudeau airport to undergo $10-billion renovation over next decade

Aéroports de Montréal says renovations to the airport will boost capacity to handle the expected rise in passenger volume to 28 million by 2028.

The Montreal-Trudeau International Airport and surrounding area is set to undergo a $10-billion transformation over the next decade.

The airport authority for the greater Montreal area says it has negotiated a $1-billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to support its plan for the city’s main air hub.

Une maquette des améliorations prévues aux installations de l'aéroport Montréal-Trudeau. LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Courtoisie: STGM + Jodoin Lamarre Pratte en consortium, en collaboration avec Saucier + Perrotte architectes (Crédit obligatoire)

Hamilton Labour Council wants NHL to apologize for suspending players 100 years ago

The Hamilton and District Labour Council is hoping to right a century-old grievance between the city it represents and the NHL.

The labour council demanded the NHL apologize on Wednesday for its treatment of players on the now-defunct Hamilton Tigers when they tried to engage in collective action during the 1924-25 season. Anthony Marco, the council’s president, said that when the Tigers went on strike to get better pay, they were engaging in a struggle that resonates to this day.

“We’ve got labour strife happening at a provincial level, at a federal level, at an international level, and this is a good reminder of the fact that 100 years ago, some of the basic things that these players were fighting for still exist today,” said Marco. “It’s a reflection, in my mind, on how gig work is going these days, that people are being expected to work without pay, our people are being expected to work with very little pay.”

Hamilton, Ontario; 1927--Cities-- Gore Park in the heart of the business district, Hamilton. (CP PHOTO) 1999 (National Archives of Canada) PA-043830

Income gap hit record high in first quarter, Statscan says

The average disposable income for those in the top 20 per cent of Canada's income distribution increased at the fastest pace of any income group in the first quarter of 2025.

The income gap between the country’s highest and lowest income households reached a record high in the first quarter of 2025, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.

The agency said the difference in the share of disposable income between households in the top 40 per cent of the income distribution and the bottom 40 per cent grew to 49 percentage points in the first three months of the year.

CRA call centre employees vulnerable to job cuts under Carney’s cost-savings plan, union says

The Canada Revenue Agency has reduced its work force by more than 10 per cent since May, 2024, shedding more than 8,000 jobs.

The union representing Canada Revenue Agency employees is warning that Ottawa’s push for cost savings will disproportionately affect the employment of call centre workers, resulting in poorer service for Canadian taxpayers.

Since May, 2024, the CRA has reduced its work force by more than 10 per cent, shedding more than 8,000 jobs, many of which were contract workers at call centres across the country.

Softwood deal a top priority in trade talks, Carney says

Prime Minister Mark Carney says trade talks with the U.S. are continuing.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says securing a truce in the long-running Canada-U.S. softwood-lumber dispute is a top priority as Canadian producers brace for even heftier U.S. levies as early as September.

Mr. Carney said he hopes this could be part of an overall agreement to end the trade war with the United States – a deal he conceded earlier this week would likely not remove all of President Donald Trump’s tariffs from Canadian goods.

Wildfires among reasons CBC needs a public safety mandate, McGill research centre says

An increase in wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events should prompt Canada's public broadcaster to add public safety to its mandate, a researcher says.

The wildfires that are flaring up across Canada again are one of the reasons public safety should be added to CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate, a new report from a research centre at McGill University argues.

The report says other public media around the world are incorporating national emergency preparedness and crisis response into their role, and recommends that aspect of the CBC’s mandate be formalized and strengthened.

Carney cracks down further on cheap steel imports in bid to protect domestic mills

Countries except the U.S. that have free-trade agreements with Canada will be subject to 50-per-cent tariffs if they import more than 100 per cent of 2024 volumes of steel into the country.

Ottawa is cracking down further on imports of foreign steel into Canada to help Canadian mills that have effectively been shut out of the U.S. market by President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Less than a month ago, the federal government announced that steelmakers from countries such as China and Turkey that don’t have free-trade agreements with Canada will face tariffs of 50 per cent if they ship volumes into Canada that go above 100 per cent of 2024 levels.

Jays stars soak up MLB All-Star Game history

Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Junior and Alejandro Kirk were a part of Major League Baseball All-Star Game history at Truist Park. Tied 6-6 after nine innings, the National League beat the Jays and their fellow American League stars 4-3 in the first-ever home run swing-off.

Giller Prize says it will be forced to cease operations without federal funding

The annual $100,000 award for fiction is in dire financial straits after a decades-long partnership with Scotiabank ended prematurely earlier this year.

The Giller Prize will be forced to shut down at the end of this year without federal funding, according to the Giller Foundation.

The annual $100,000 award for fiction, the richest in Canada, is in dire financial straits after its decades-long partnership with Bank of Nova Scotia ended prematurely earlier this year. The Globe and Mail has learned the Giller Foundation is in the process of appealing to the federal government for funds.

Statistics Canada says income gap hit record high in first quarter

A Statistics Canada sign is pictured in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 3, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The income gap between the country’s highest and lowest income households reached a record high in the first quarter of 2025, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.

The agency said the difference in the share of disposable income between households in the top 40 per cent of the income distribution and the bottom 40 per cent grew to 49 percentage points in the first three months of the year. 

Starting your back-to-school shopping before more tariffs hit? You may not save by going early

Many Canadian parents expect to spend more on back-to-school shopping this year.

Mila Olumogba has fine-tuned her back-to-school shopping routine over the years. The mother of three from Gatineau scours off-season bargains to spread out costs, buys clothes one size up to fit in August and always checks her cupboards first.

This year, she’s also been trying to shop more locally in light of Canada’s trade war with the United States and President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, including sweeping levies as high as 35 per cent on Canadian imports starting in August.

Morning Update: Weak spots in Canada’s Strong Borders Act

Good morning. Privacy experts, refugee groups and legal scholars are all sounding the alarm about the Strong Borders Act – more on that below, along with the 2025 Emmy nominations and the uproar over the Epstein files. But first:

Today’s headlines

© DARRYL DYCK

Motorists wait at U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection booths at the Peace Arch border crossing in Blaine, Wash., across the Canada-U.S. border from Surrey, B.C., on Monday, November 8, 2021. The U.S. Department of Justice says four Mexican nationals have been charged with allegedly running an international human smuggling organization across the Canadian border. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

In rural B.C., frequent ER closings show how ‘fragile’ the health care system has become

A sign points the way to the  emergency room at the hospital in Kitimat, B.C. The hospital’s ER crisis peaked in January, 2024, when it was shuttered for almost 250 hours.

Don Glasgow is lucky he had a heart attack on April 24.

Had his organ faltered after 7 p.m. a day earlier or a day later, he would have found the doors locked at his nearest emergency department in Lillooet, a mountain town about two hours from Kamloops.

© Melissa Tait

Tricia Thorpe and Don Glasgow outside the new fire-resistant home they’re building themselves, made of insulated concrete form, a metal roof and planned concrete siding. In June 2021 they lost their home, barn and workshop to the wildfire that tore through Lytton B.C.
June 6. 2022
(Melissa Tait / The Globe and Mail)

‘Big relief’: Evacuation alerts lifted on multiple B.C. wildfires

British Columbia’s Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has rescinded multiple evacuation alerts as the threat from a series of wildfires appears to have passed.

The August Lake wildfire near Princeton, B.C., is listed as “being held” and the alert for residents that was in place since Saturday has been lifted.

A wildfire, seen in this handout photo, burning near Keremeos, B.C., on Friday, July 11, 2025, THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — BC Wildfire Service (Mandatory Credit)

Universal Ostrich Farms case heads to Federal Court of Appeal

The owners of a B.C. ostrich farm that was ordered to cull 400 birds after an outbreak of avian flu brought their case to the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa, asking for a judicial review of the CFIA's destruction order. Katie Pasitney, the daughter of Universal Ostrich Farm's owners, says the family operation will be devastated if the order is allowed to stand. The court has reserved its decision.

Contingency plans unclear for 2026 World Cup wildfire smoke risks

A game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium in Regina was delayed due to poor air quality on Friday.

While some organizations have published clear air quality thresholds or contingency protocols for wildfire smoke, FIFA’s plans remain unclear less than a year out from the 2026 World Cup.

A day after Toronto’s air quality was among the worst in the world, the organizing committee for the World Cup in Canada declined to reveal guidelines for postponement or air-quality-related contingencies with FIFA. No policies are posted publicly.

Alia Hogben was a powerful advocate for Muslim women, in Canada and abroad

Alia Hogben, left, and David Johnston at an Order of Canada investiture ceremony in 2012.

Alia Hogben, a trailblazing Muslim social worker, championed the welfare of children and women for over half a century in Canada and abroad.

As an early member of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) in 1982, and later as its executive director, Ms. Hogben advocated for an inclusive, egalitarian vision of Islam in which gender equality and interfaith dialogue were paramount. She received many accolades for her tireless work, including being named one of Canada’s 50 most powerful people by Maclean’s Magazine in 2014.

Calgary police officer charged with two counts of murder in 2023 shooting

A Calgary police officer has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder after Alberta’s oversight agency investigated a 2023 shooting that killed two men.

Constable Craig Stothard appeared in court Tuesday and was released, according to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, in a statement published later in the day. His bail was set for $1,000, and he must remain in the province under a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., with his passport surrendered.

The officer has been placed on leave, Calgary Police Service Chief Katie McLellan said in a separate statement. She declined to say whether his leave was with or without pay. He is a 15-year member of the service.

© Jeff McIntosh

A Calgary police officer was charged for two counts of murder after allegedly shooting and killing two men during a 'slow speed pursuit.'

Calgary police officer charged with two counts of second-degree murder

A Calgary police officer has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder after the occupants of a van were shot dead following a slow-speed pursuit in 2023.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, also known as ASIRT, announced the charges in a news release Tuesday.

Calgary police, in a statement, said the officer charged is on leave from the service.

© Jeff McIntosh

The shoulder patch of a Calgary Police Service officer is pictured in Calgary, Alta., Friday, July 4, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

More frequent trains, expanded storage touted at Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba

Arctic Gateway Group CEO Chris Avery says the Port of Churchill in Manitoba has good infrastructure in place already and the ice-free season is expected to expand with climate change.

The company that owns a rail line and port in northern Manitoba has increased its capacity to transport goods, as governments eye potential growth in trade through Hudson Bay to overseas markets.

Officials with Arctic Gateway Group said Tuesday a new dedicated critical mineral storage facility has been built at the Port of Churchill, tripling the port’s storage capacity for critical minerals.

Cull order on B.C. ostriches a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, federal appeals court hears

Ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood, B.C., on June 6. After an outbreak late last year, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said nearly 400 surviving ostriches would be killed.

A fight to save nearly 400 ostriches earmarked for slaughter in British Columbia that have received global notoriety and support of the biggest players in U.S. health landed in an Ottawa courtroom on Tuesday.

A lawyer representing Universal Ostrich Farms, Umar Sheikh, argued at a hearing held by the Federal Court of Appeal that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) plans to apply a “one-size-fits-all” approach to execute its “stamping out policy” on the flock. The policy sees birds exposed to avian influenza killed. The virus is a public-health concern that scientists fear could develop into a pandemic.

Hudson's Bay hearing on Ruby Liu lease deal adjourned

Hudson’s Bay was back in court for a fight with one of its biggest lenders who wants it to terminate a deal it has to sell 25 of the retailer's leases to B.C. billionaire, Ruby Liu. The judge adjourned the hearing 'for a short period of time,' urging Ms. Liu to hire a lawyer to represent her and her plans to buy the leases.

New Brunswick declares measles outbreak in south-central region

New Brunswick health officials say there are three confirmed and five probable cases of measles in the south-central region of the province.

Dr. Kimberley Barker, regional medical officer of health for Sussex, N.B., said the situation is evolving and there could be more cases of measles, including people with symptoms who are staying home and not seeking medical care.

She did not give the ages of those infected with measles, citing privacy.

© Geoff Robins

A dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination awaits the next patient during a vaccine clinic at Southwestern Public Health in St. Thomas, Ont., on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Geoff Robins

Nine First Nations in Ontario launch constitutional challenge against Bill 5 and Bill C-5

Demonstrators protest the federal government’s Bill C-5 on Parliament Hill, June 17. Bill 5 and Bill C-5 would allow governments to skip legislated processes that currently involve First Nations consultations.

A group of First Nations in Ontario has filed a constitutional challenge of two bills passed by both the province and the federal government aimed at speeding up the construction of mines, pipelines and other projects.

Lawyers acting for nine First Nations filed the application in Ontario Superior Court this week, claiming the provincial and federal laws allow development to be rammed through without proper consultation with Indigenous people.

Several provinces still under air quality advisories from wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke blanketed the city of Toronto on Monday, prompting an air quality warning.

Much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were placed under special air quality statements or warnings on Monday due to smoke from wildfires, as Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms.

The weather agency said air quality was poor across swaths of Ontario and Quebec as westerly winds brought in smoke from forest fires in the Prairies and northern Ontario.

Wildfire smoke challenges Canada’s food growers in complex and unexpected ways

Wildfire smoke fills the air as a farmer harvests hay west of Vanderhoof, B.C., in 2018. More frequent wildfires during the summer pose a challenge to Canadian agricultural businesses.

The smoky air that has become an all-too-common feature of Canadian summers poses yet another challenge for agricultural producers already contending with chronic drought in some areas and excess moisture in others.

A thick haze blanketed much of the Prairies and Central Canada on Monday as wildfires burned in northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

Nanaimo, B.C., considers building fence at City Hall to protect staff from overdose prevention site

The City of Nanaimo, B.C., is considering building a 1.8-metre-high fence at City Hall to protect employees from activities associated with a nearby overdose prevention site.

The City of Nanaimo, B.C., is considering building a 1.8-metre-high fence to protect its staff from “congregations” of people, violence and disorder associated with an overdose prevention site next to city hall.

Staff proposing the $412,000 fence cite “intimidation and harassment” of employees, particularly those working early or late, as well as damage to staff vehicles, fires near doorways and building perimeters, human waste, and a general deterioration of the site.

Morning Update: Trump softens on Ukraine

Good morning. Vladimir Putin ticks off Donald Trump and Ukraine gets some of the weapons it needs – more on that below, along with the latest on Canada’s wildfires and early ticket pricing on next year’s World Cup. But first:

Today’s headlines

© Evan Vucci

President Donald Trump, right, meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, July 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Canadians prefer more debt over higher taxes to finance increased military spending, poll finds

Prime Minister Mark Carney with troops of the 4th Canadian Division at Fort York Armoury, on June 9. Canada has launched the largest increase in military spending in more than 70 years.

Canadians would rather have an increase to the national debt than personal income tax hikes to pay for more ambitious military commitments made by the federal government, new polling says.

The Nanos Research survey conducted for The Globe and Mail found nearly half of Canadians surveyed support the debt option, with 49 per cent either supporting or somewhat supporting it.

Wildfire smoke forces summer camps to move activities indoors, adjust programs

Smoke from wildfires in Western Canada prompted air quality statements or warnings in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Monday.

Wildfire smoke in several parts of the country is forcing summer camp providers whose communities are under air quality warnings to shift activities indoors or make other changes to keep campers safe.

Environment Canada issued special air quality statements or warnings on Monday for much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan owing to smoke from wildfires in northern Ontario and the Prairies, while smoke also drifted into Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

How to read Environment Canada's air quality index

Wildfire season is upon us, and smoke is reducing air quality through swaths of the country. Environment Canada suggests people check the Air Quality Health Index daily to determine how much time to spend outside. Here's how to interpret the index.

‘Obscene brutality’: Baseball-bat killer gets life term despite constitutional ruling

The B.C. Supreme Court has sentenced a man to life in prison without parole eligibility for 25 years for beating his ex-girlfriend to death with a baseball bat as she slept beside her young daughter in 2021.

The court ruling posted Monday says Luciano Mariani’s killing of Caroline Bernard in her home in Bowser, B.C., was a crime of “obscene brutality” that was planned in advance for months.

Mariani had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, but filed a successful constitutional challenge against a provision in Canada’s Criminal Code preventing those convicted of the crime from applying for parole for 25 years.

© DARRYL DYCK

The Law Courts building, which is home to B.C. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, is seen in Vancouver, on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

What are the health risks of wildfire smoke? How to protect your lungs from poor air quality

Residents in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been advised to limit their time outdoors to avoid the negative health effects associated with wildfire smoke.

Raging wildfires in Western Canada have blanketed skies with acrid smoke, prompting air quality statements or warnings in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

Residents in these provinces were advised on Monday to limit time outdoors to avoid health effects. In the morning, Toronto’s Air Quality Health Index rating was more than 10, which is considered “very high risk.”

Wildfire smoke prompts air-quality warnings for much of Central Canada and Manitoba

Environment Canada issued special air-quality warnings for Southern Ontario – including Toronto – along with Quebec and much of Manitoba.

Heavy smoke and thick fumes have triggered air-quality alerts in vast swaths of the country, as some areas in Western and Central Canada are experiencing one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in recent decades.

With winds pushing plumes from Prairie wildfires toward Ontario and Quebec, causing reduced visibility in multiple regions, Environment and Climate Change Canada is now warning people to be prepared for smoke exposure thousands of kilometres away from fire zones. Residents have been advised to keep windows and doors closed, limit their time outside, and reschedule or cancel summer sports, events and activities.

© Christinne Muschi

Tourists Grace Lam and Harrison Law take a selfie on Mount Royal lookout in Montreal on Monday, July 14, 2025. Much of Central Canada and Manitoba were placed under special air quality statements or warnings early Monday morning amid smoke from wildfires, as Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Immigration minister won’t say if Canada considering barring British, Irish artists over festival performances

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, aka Mo Chara, a member of the Irish language band Kneecap was previously charged with a terrorism offence relating to displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a November 2024 performance.

A prominent Jewish organization is pushing for Canada to deny entry to two bands being investigated in the U.K. after their appearance at a popular British music festival last month.

In late June the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs asked the ministers of public safety and immigration to bar Irish rap group Kneecap and English punk rap duo Bob Vylan.

Alberta surpasses U.S. in confirmed measles cases with more than 1,300

Alberta has surpassed the United States in confirmed measles cases, after 30 new cases were diagnosed over the weekend.

The province reported Monday that it has seen 1,314 cases since the beginning of March.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,288 cases so far this year across 39 states, though case numbers are updated weekly with the next update expected on Wednesday.

© Jeff McIntosh

An Alberta Health Services sign is pictured outside the Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary, Thursday, March 20, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Man with al-Qaeda ties may plead guilty to terror offence in Montreal, lawyer says

A man with ties to al-Qaeda who allegedly threatened to bomb public transit will likely plead guilty, his lawyer said Monday at the Montreal courthouse.

Mohamed Abdullah Warsame, 51, appeared in court by video conference from Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies detention centre, where he waived his right to a bail hearing.

Warsame was arrested June 5 and later charged with uttering threats after allegedly telling an employee at a Montreal homeless shelter he wanted to build bombs and detonate them on public transit.

© Christinne Muschi

Une auto-patrouille est stationnée devant le quartier général de la GRC à Montréal, le jeudi 7 mars 2024. LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Christinne Muschi

Globe Climate: In the fires, after the floods

If you’re reading this on the web or someone forwarded this e-mail newsletter to you, you can sign up for Globe Climate and all Globe newsletters here.

Good afternoon, and welcome to Globe Climate, a newsletter about climate change, environment and resources in Canada.

Although in this newsletter today we will look back at the aftermath of the floods down south, readers should be looking ahead to wildfires in the Prairies.

© Eric Gay

Rain falls at a make-shift memorial for flood victims along the Guadalupe River, July 13, in Kerrville, Texas.

Wildfire smoke prompts air quality warnings for much of Central Canada, Manitoba

Smoke from wildfires covers the horizon at Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal in Montreal.

Much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were placed under special air quality statements or warnings on Monday due to smoke from wildfires, as Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms.

The weather agency said air quality was poor across swaths of Ontario and Quebec as westerly winds bring in smoke from forest fires in the Prairies and northern Ontario.

Soldiers accused in alleged Quebec militia plot had limited access to army bases, equipment

The RCMP in Quebec arrested four men last week in an alleged terrorism-participation conspiracy, and said the suspects included serving soldiers.

The soldiers charged in connection with an alleged terrorist conspiracy had been under restrictions that limited their access to army bases and equipment, and none of the weapons, ammunition or explosives in their alleged arsenal originated from the Canadian military, the Department of National Defence says.

The statement from the DND on Monday morning did not say where those items, which were seized as part of the RCMP-led investigation that led to four arrests last week, came from.

Wildfire concern differs widely across Canada, poll shows

The Pocket Knife Creek wildfire south of Fort Nelson, B.C., June 10. Seven in 10 respondents in B.C. say they had taken some action to reduce wildfire risk, according to a survey.

Canadians who live in the West are much more likely than those in the rest of the country to have taken action to reduce wildfire risk and mitigate the impacts of wildfire smoke, according to new polling.

The national survey, conducted for The Globe and Mail by Nanos Research, asked Canadians what steps, if any, they had taken in their households in the past two years to address concerns about the intense wildfires that have swept the country, selecting all options that applied.

Obesity rates increased after start of COVID-19 pandemic, new study shows

Personal trainer and gym owner Kate Laird leads a Family Boot Camp class at her gym in Ottawa on Saturday. Ms. Laird says women clients often tell her that the pandemic made it harder for them to prioritize their health and nutrition.

Years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, Kate Laird, who runs the Ottawa-based gym Love Your Body Fitness, still hears daily from women clients who describe how they gained weight during that stressful time. Many share that they haven’t felt like themselves since.

Most of the time they end up in tears while talking about how difficult it was to maintain fitness routines and prioritize their health and nutrition.

Manitoba officials hopeful rain, international support will slow raging wildfires

Trees burned by wildfires in the surrounding area of Flin Flon, Man., June 12. Nearly 560 wildfires burned across the country on Sunday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.

Officials in Manitoba are hopeful that an influx of international firefighters paired with cooler, wetter weather will slow the raging wildfires that have triggered the province’s second state of emergency this year.

As of Sunday, there were 122 active fires burning in the province, which is experiencing its most destructive wildfire season in three decades, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Premier Wab Kinew cited the need for more shelter spaces for evacuees when he made the rare declaration of a second state of emergency on Thursday.

❌