WATCH: Quebec man adjusts to life after 33 years behind bars
A new trial has been ordered for a Quebec man convicted of four murders in the 1990s, federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced Friday.
Fraser said he found reasonable grounds to believe there may have been a miscarriage of justice in the case of Daniel Jolivet.
“As Minister of Justice, I have the authority under the Criminal Code to order a new trial or appeal when new evidence shows a miscarriage of justice likely occurred,” he said in a statement. “My decision does not decide guilt or innocence, as that will rest with the courts.”
Jolivet was convicted in 1994 of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. Two men and two women were shot in 1992 in Brossard, Que., in what was believed to be an incident related to a drug settlement.
But the evidence that led to Jolivet’s conviction hinged largely one informant’s testimony. Joliver’s lawyer, Nicholas St-Jacques of Project Innocence Quebec, has disputed the informant’s honesty.
Jolivet succeeded in having the initial verdict overturned on appeal, but it was reinstated by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2000.
In October 2025, the Quebec Crown prosecutor’s office said there was reason to believe that Jolivet did not receive a fair trial and there was new evidence that was not presented at the time of his conviction.
In December 2025, Jolivet was granted bail after spending 33 years behind bars. He was released pending the outcome of a federal review into a possible miscarriage of justice.
In an interview following his release, Jolivet told Global News it was difficult to adjust to a life he hadn’t experienced in over three decades.
“Many things have changed,” he said. “It’s very expensive, I found out. Many things are not the same as they were 33 years ago.”
He said his first trip to the corner store to buy a couple bottles of pop left him in shock.
Other surprises were more pleasant.
“I had a king size bed. I was doing the angel on it,” he said. “I slept very good.”
Speaking to reporters Friday, Jolivet said he felt freedom, but was determined to return to the courtroom to hear the judge say “not guilty.”
“I want a new trial, because I want to be found not guilty,” he said. “It’s the better option because everyone will know that I am innocent.”
St-Jacques said the opportunity to be acquitted is very important for Jolivet’s mental health.
“These people have been fighting all their life, often incarcerated, to try to show their innocence. And in the case like Mr. Joliviet, he hasn’t had a fair trial,” he said.
“He’s been fighting for all these years, not only to get back his freedom, but to tell the world that he is not the person who committed the crime.”
Jolivet said he’s looking forward to being able to take care of himself outside of prison.
U.S. health officials have confirmed that shredded iceberg lettuce imported from Mexico is the source of a multi-state cyclospora outbreak. The diarrhea-causing parasite was reportedly served at Taco Bell locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Nivrita Ganguly has this story and more in Health Matters for July 17, 2026.
An outbreak of cyclosporiasis — a diarrhea-causing parasitic illness — in the U.S. has been linked to iceberg lettuce from a Mexican supplier and to several Taco Bell locations across multiple states.
In an announcement Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said shredded lettuce from a single supplier in Mexico was sent to Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, and warned the public not to consume the green in those parts of the country.
The federal warnings to the public did not identify the Mexican supplier by name.
Two government officials who spoke to the New York Times on condition of anonymity also named Taylor Farms in California as the U.S.-based distributor of the lettuce and said it was unclear whether it was sent to other food vendors.
A federal official who was briefed on the investigation and not authorized to discuss it also told The Associated Press it was Taylor Farms of Salinas, Calif.
In a statement Thursday, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was “working directly with the identified supplier to determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market.”
“Taco Bell has committed to stop using any lettuce from the supplier identified by FDA’s traceback investigation,” it added.
In its latest announcement, the CDC said more than 1,644 people sickened in this outbreak reported eating at Taco Bell locations in five states.
Global News reached out to Taylor Farms and Taco Bell on Friday for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
On Tuesday, ahead of the U.S. confirmation that the outbreak was linked to Taco Bell, the food chain issued a statement to U.S. media saying it had “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.”
Federal health officials also stressed that other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be identified as the investigation continues.
Wendy’s and Chipotle said Friday that they are not affected by the outbreak, Reuters reported.
More than 30 states have reported infections this year, not all of which are related to the current outbreak. The illness is not usually life-threatening and typically clears with antibiotics.
There have been no official reports of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis in Mexico.
Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.
The parasite thrives in heat, infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables irrigated with feces-contaminated water.
Cyclosporiasis is less common than foodborne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source, and for years, few U.S. Cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.
Multiple Canadian provinces have seen cases of the parasite so far this year, though there are no clear links at this time to the U.S. outbreak.
There have been 107 cases of cyclosporiasis identified in Quebec since July 11, health officials in that province informed Global News this week — with 30 cases in 2025 for the same time period — who reiterated that the Quebec cases are “not at all on the same scale as the outbreak reported in the state of Michigan.”
“As in previous years, the majority of Quebec cases would be linked to an exposure that occurred during travel, mainly to Mexico,” health officials said.
“As of today, fewer than five cases have reported travel to the United States,” a spokesperson for Quebec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) said.
In B.C., 93 cases have been reported this year, with a health official telling Global News that “cases of cyclospora are reported in B.C. every year” and “most cases are related to travel.”
The levels are being monitored “closely” given the outbreak in the U.S. but are considered “typical,” a spokesperson for the B.C. Centre for Disease Control said.
B.C. also “sees an increase in non-travel related cyclospora infections due to eating contaminated, imported raw produce” every spring and summer, the health official stated.
Alberta health officials have confirmed six cyclosporiasis cases in the province this year to Global News, with one case being reported on Wednesday, and the majority linked to travel to Mexico.
Global News confirmed that the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island have seen no cyclosporiasis cases this year, according to provincial government health officials.
Two cases were reported to Public Health Ontario in March, officials there said.
Manitoba health officials have also reported one case this year that is currently under investigation. Health officials in Yukon did not reply to multiple inquiries.
Nunavut health officials confirmed five lab-confirmed cases this year.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it is not considering restrictions on fresh produce imports from the U.S.
— with files from The Associated Press and Global News’ Adriana Fallico
WATCH: The Village of Pemberton is under an evacuation alert due to a fast-growing wildfire that started on Wednesday afternoon. This time-lapse video shows the growth of the fire on Thursday.
The owner of the GreenWood Country Inn in Pemberton, B.C., says crews have been working through the night to protect the community from a wildfire.
The Signal Hill wildfire is now an estimated 97 hectares in size and burning close to the community of about 3,600 people.
“It’s been very spectacular to see the fire this close,” Margit de Haan, owner of the inn told Global News.
“I mean, we had many fires here in the past, but the fire is close to town. It is pretty scary. But luckily, we do have a lot of water sources. The lake and Green River is nearby.”
De Hann said that part of the town lost power as the fire is burning partly under the power lines, but it has since been restored.
She said they have guests staying at the inn and they are just staying prepared in case they need to leave at a moment’s notice.
“Yesterday I was also busy moving a lot of valuable items to my garage because I just figured it was safer there because we have concrete walls where the garage is,” de Hann added.
“So yeah, it makes you realize what’s valuable to you and what’s not. Certain things I’m like, OK, they can burn down. That’s OK. But other things I really treasure. Yeah, but the most important part of it all is to stay alive.”
B.C.’s premier said on Friday that he expects wildfires to be top of mind at next week’s first ministers’ meeting on the east coast.
“Given where we are, the amount of training, specialty and research I would be reluctant in handing over because B.C. is well ahead of other provinces in responding to this, unfortunately, because we were affected sooner,” Premier David Eby said.
Wildfire officials are warning that there could be a potential spike in fire activity in the next few days, with lightning strikes and warm and dry conditions in the forecast.
RELATED: Wild weather, including tornadoes, heat and flooding, continues to hit Prairies.
Canada’s insurance industry is renewing calls for governments to invest in flood protection after severe storms and flooding across Canada caused more than $1.1 billion in insured damage in June.
Insurers estimate the June 9 and 10 storms in Manitoba and Saskatchewan caused more than $728 million in insured losses, while flooding in Montreal and surrounding communities on June 20 and 21 caused more than $409 million in damage.
The preliminary estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. come after a month of severe weather that brought tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds, torrential rain and flash flooding across the affected regions.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance said it received more than 10,000 auto claims and 800 property claims after the June 9 storm, with preliminary damage estimates nearing $80 million.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada said the latest figures highlight the rising financial and human toll of flooding across the country and need for governments to invest in measures that reduce flood risk.
“Flood risk is no longer a future challenge… it is a current reality affecting Canadians from coast to coast,” Liam McGuinty, the bureau’s vice-president of federal affairs, said in the release.
The bureau is calling on governments to strengthen land-use planning by limiting development in high-risk flood plains, invest in flood-resilient and storm-water infrastructure, strengthen building codes and expand programs that help homeowners reduce flood damage.
According to the bureau, flood and water-related insured losses have increased more than 300 per cent over the last 20 years compared with the previous two decades.
Since 2009, insurers have paid an average of more than $2 billion annually in catastrophic weather-related claims.
“Flooding is Canada’s costliest and most pervasive climate risk,” McGuinty said. “Insurance alone cannot solve Canada’s flood problem.”
WATCH ABOVE: Canada, Mexico downplay concerns over Chinese EVs ahead of CUSMA review with U.S.
The issue of Chinese EVs being allowed into the North American market are part of the trade discussions with the United States, Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs Roberto Velasco Alvarez told reporters in Ottawa Friday.
Alvaraez was in Ottawa Friday for a bilateral meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand.
“Of course, this is part of the USMCA talks, and we continue to look for ways as well to lower the tariffs that the United States has implemented (on Mexico),” he said, when asked if the Chinese electric vehicles being sold in Mexico were an impediment to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (CUSMA) being extended.
The trade deal, known as USMCA in the U.S. and T-MEC (Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá) in Mexico, dictates virtually all free trade on the continent.
On July 1, the United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the U.S. is not renewing CUSMA “in its current form” — but the trade agreement will remain in place and face annual reviews as negotiations continue.
This decision triggers a rolling annual review for up to a decade, at which point it will expire if an extension isn’t agreed upon.
The sale of Chinese-made electric vehicles in the North American market is a sticking point for Washington.
Chinese EVs now make up around 20 per cent of Mexico’s auto market. In January, Canada agreed to allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into Canada at a “most favoured nation tariff rate” of 6.1 per cent.
The deal with China has raised concern within the Trump administration, with Trump himself threatening new tariffs and saying he won’t allow Canada to become a “drop-off port” for Chinese vehicles to enter the U.S.
The 49,000 Chinese EVs being let into Canada every year will make up less than three per cent of the Canadian market, Anand said.
“The key really is in establishing those lines. We are cognizant that the trading relationship across North America is one of the most integrated in the world,” she said.
Mexico’s import of the EVs is “mainly the lowest cost vehicle sector,” Alvarez said.
“We don’t have a large manufacture of Chinese vehicles in Mexico right now. I don’t think there’s more than one Chinese manufacturer in Mexico. At this point, we import vehicles from China for mainly the lowest cost vehicle sector of our market,” he said.
Alvarez was also asked whether Mexico would also consider going it alone and sign a bilateral agreement with the U.S. instead of a larger free trade deal with Canada in it.
“The USMCA is a trilateral agreement. And of course, we, the three countries, agree that architecture should continue,” he said, adding, however, that all parties had “bilateral issues” that needed to be resolved.
“Of course, when it’s appropriate, we have trilateral conversations,” Alvarez said.
“There’s also excellent communication between our trade teams. But of course, there are many issues with which we need to communicate directly with the United States,” he added.
Anand said both bilateral and trilateral conversations were key to establishing the trade relationship.
“With both the United States and Mexico, the trade and investment relationship is fundamentally important. And we are committed to protecting and strengthening those relationships, both bilaterally and trilaterally,” she said.
Two people died this week in northern Saskatchewan following, what the province initially described, as a "wildlife incident." It confirmed Friday that the wildlife involved was a bear.
Buck Shreck / Getty Images
A bear is responsible for the death of two people at a McTavish Lake in northern Saskatchewan, the provincial Ministry of Community Safety confirmed Friday.
Two people were found Wednesday by RCMP in La Ronge, a news release from the Saskatchewan government says.
“After careful investigation, conservation officers have located and euthanized the bear suspected to be involved in the incident,” it said, noting the bear’s body will be examined at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.
The ministry said it will not publicly identify the two people who died, as an investigation by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service and provincial conservation officer service is ongoing.
Police will not probe the deaths further, as they are not considered suspicious, the province said.
Voters in a central Edmonton riding will have a new, but perhaps not unfamiliar, NDP candidate on the ballot in next year’s provincial election.
Former chair of the Edmonton Public School Board, Trisha Estabrooks, is seeking the nomination to run provincially for the Alberta NDP in the open constituency of Edmonton-Strathcona.
It comes after the party’s leader announced he’ll seek a Calgary seat in the next general vote instead of running for re-election in Edmonton.
Naheed Nenshi, who was Calgary’s mayor for 11 years from 2010 to 2021 when he did not seek re-election, announced his decision Thursday in an online letter to his constituents in Edmonton-Strathcona.
He said in the letter that he’s “thrilled every day” to serve as the member of Edmonton-Strathcona, but is making the move to represent the communities where he grew up and made much of his professional and political life.
He also said the NDP needs to win more seats in Calgary, and that he’s “happy to be part of that battle.”
Estabrooks was EPSB chair and a local trustee for schools within Edmonton-Strathcona from 2017 to 2025.
She ran for the NDP in the spring 2025 federal election in Edmonton Centre, but lost to Liberal candidate Eleanor Olszewski.
Estabrooks currently works for Friends of Medicare, a public health-care advocacy group.
Prior to politics, she worked for the CBC for 17 years in newsrooms across the country, including Thunder Bay, Iqaluit, Whitehorse and then Edmonton.
She also spent a year in 2007 working with Journalists for Human Rights in Ghana.
Nenshi’s byelection win in Edmonton-Strathcona in June 2025 came almost a year after he won the party’s leadership race to replace former premier Rachel Notley, who also represented the Edmonton constituency.
He won the byelection with more than 82 per cent of the vote.
“As you may know, we are in the midst of an illegitimate and corrupt process to redraw the electoral map. There will be legal challenges. Once we have a finalized (and hopefully fair!) map, I’ll announce which Calgary riding,” Nenshi wrote, referring to an ongoing review of provincial riding maps.
Nenshi has accused Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative government of using the review to rig the next election.
The government has said it’s about ensuring there’s fair representation for rural areas.
Nenshi said in Thursday’s letter that he will continue to serve as representative of Edmonton-Strathcona until the next general election in October 2027.
“This will open up Edmonton-Strathcona for a new representative from this beautiful community,” he wrote.
“I am informing you today so that the incredible constituency association in this riding has time for a healthy and robust nomination process to select a candidate and a future MLA worthy of representing you.”
In 2023, Estabrooks received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for her contributions to journalism and public education.
She and her family have lived in Edmonton for two decades.
FILE - The Paramount Pictures water tower is seen in Los Angeles, Dec. 18, 2025, with the Hollywood sign in the distance.
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File
Twelve states sued to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on Monday, arguing that the $81 billion merger would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers across the U.S.
“Audiences on every sofa and in every movie (theatre) seat would feel the impact of this unlawful merger,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the case, said in a news conference from Los Angeles. He said the deal would result in higher prices, fewer movies and TV shows and lower quality of content overall.
A Paramount-Warner combo would bring together two of Hollywood’s last five legacy studios. It would also mean putting Warner’s HBO Max, libraries filled with fan favorites like Harry Potter and even CNN under the same roof of Paramount-owned CBS and the Paramount+ streaming service.
In Monday’s complaint, the states said such a tie-up would also “inflict substantial harm” on movie theatres and basic cable distributors. Bonta’s office said the states are asking Warner and Paramount to not close this merger “until after the judicial process concludes.” And if the companies do not agree, the coalition would then file a temporary restraining order.
Paramount said Monday’s lawsuit “distorts settled antitrust law” and maintained that its merger would instead create a “stronger competitor against dominant streaming and technology platforms who have harmed the market for theatrical exhibition and jobs in the entertainment industry.”
The company, which was bought by Skydance just last year, vowed to “vigorously defend” the transaction.
Warner deferred to Paramount for comment. Beyond California, states joining Monday’s lawsuit include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington.
Where Paramount’s takeover of Warner stands
Monday’s antitrust case arrives at a pivotal time for the Paramount-Warner transaction — which, after months of what became a very public bidding war with Netflix, received shareholders’ stamp of approval in April and then a blessing from President Donald Trump’s administration just last month.
The companies have hoped to close their deal sometime in the third quarter of this year and have recently signalled an effort to complete the process in the coming weeks. The states’ lawsuit could throw a wrench in those plans, at least for now.
The clock is ticking. Paramount also pledged to give shareholders some compensation if that process isn’t complete by Sept. 30 — in the form of a 25-cent per share “ticking fee” for every quarter past that date. And it’s agreed to a regulatory termination fee of $7 billion.
FILE - Vehicles enter Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles on Dec. 17, 2025.
JCH
Beyond the U.S., Paramount has touted additional regulatory clearances it says it’s received in a handful of other countries, including China, Canada and Australia. Meanwhile, other reviews remain in progress, including in the European Union and the U.K. — which has separately suggested it may intervene.
Including debt, Paramount’s proposed purchase of Warner is valued at nearly $111 billion (or $31 per share) based on current outstanding shares.
Critics decry merger
Warner and Paramount argue that a merger will drive industry growth and give consumers access to more content, especially if the HBO Max and Paramount+ libraries are combined. But critics have decried what further consolidation could mean in a landscape already controlled by just a few major players.
Monday’s lawsuit from the states pointed to movies that make their way into theaters and the wider TV landscape — noting that a combined Paramount-Warner could control nearly a third of both the theatrical film distribution market as well as basic cable programming.
Such a combination would create “a massive company with unprecedented power and influence over news and entertainment across the globe,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is among those challenging the deal. Beyond consumer impacts, she also said the merger would “put jobs and businesses nationwide at risk.”
Thousands of actors, directors, writers and other industry professionals have already voiced “unequivocal opposition” to the deal. Monday’s challenge garnered applause from groups like the Writers Guild of America, who warn that consolidation would result in “fewer jobs, lower wages for entertainment workers, less variety of programming, and higher prices for consumers”
Paramount argued on Monday that delaying the merger “will only harm entertainment workers who have already suffered over recent years as technology has disrupted their livelihood.”
The company added that the states’ case would “shield” larger streaming rivals like Netflix from meaningful competition.
Political questions
Throughout Paramount’s quest for Warner, questions of political influence have also piled up — with criticism falling largely along party lines in Washington. No Republicans signed on to the states’ case on Monday.
Democrats have long expressed skepticism about whether regulators working under Trump would scrutinize the deal as heavily. Several attorneys general joining Monday’s lawsuit took aim at the Justice Department’s decision to not challenge the deal — pointing in particular to the president’s close relationship with the billionaire family of Paramount CEO David Ellison.
“Something happened and perhaps that something had to do with a mega-billionaire named Ellison,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told reporters on Monday. “We are seeing more and more instances where the Trump DOJ is just rolling over for corporate consolidation,” she added.
Last month, DOJ leadership released a lengthy statement in support of the deal — maintaining a Paramount-Warner combo would “increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers.” The Justice Department had maintained that politics would not play a role in its review.
Trump himself previously made public comments about Warner’s future, despite backpedalling on what he once suggested his personal role would be in approving a merger.
Many eyes are on CNN, a network that has long drawn the ire of Trump and his allies.
Paramount’s CBS has already seen significant turmoil and shifts in editorial leadership since coming under Skydance ownership last year — and if Warner merger goes through, the reach of that could grow.
Several Trump administration officials have also been far from shy from sharing their hopes for CNN under Paramount ownership, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling reporters in March that “the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
WATCH: Ever wonder what the Big O looks like without a roof?
The Quebec government has approved plans to renovate the interior of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, Tourism Minister Amélie Dionne announced Friday.
The announcement comes as construction to replace the Big O’s troubled roof — and make it permanent rather than retractable — is already underway.
The government approved the $870-million roof project in 2024, citing a $2-billion cost to demolish the 56,000-seat venue instead.
The next phase includes redesigning the seating to bring fans closer to the field and adding premium suites. The lower bowl will reportedly be reconfigured into a rectangular layout to surround a football or soccer field, with washrooms and food concessions also getting an upgrade.
The government did not reveal an estimated cost for the interior renovation, announced on the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Olympics opening ceremony. The Olympic Park has been mandated to negotiate contributions from private partners over the coming months to help cover the cost of the seating and hospitality areas work, the government said in a release.
Both the roof and interior renovations are expected to be complete by 2028.
“Today, we are taking another important step toward an Olympic Stadium built for the future. Right now, there is no other venue here capable of hosting more than 20,000 spectators for major international tours. Quebec deserves a modern facility to host those tours, as well as major sporting, cultural and entertainment events,” Dionne said in a statement.
“Let’s not forget this is the only large covered stadium in Eastern Canada that can hold more than 50,000 people for major international tours. Given market interest in a modernized venue, our stadium has everything it needs to become a major driver of prosperity for Quebec.”
Montreal Impact fans cheer on their team prior to the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference final against Toronto FC at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Tuesday, November 22, 2016. Montreal won the first leg 3-2 last week before 61,004 at Olympic Stadium, tying the best attendance in Impact history.
Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
The announcement is good news for Major League Soccer club CF Montréal, which will need a new home for part of the year once the league shifts to a winter calendar in 2027.
MLS commissioner Don Garber pushed the government to “finish the job” during a visit to Olympic Stadium last month, saying a full interior overhaul was essential to CF Montréal’s long-term future in the league.
The club, owned and founded by Quebec businessman Joey Saputo, currently plays at the 19,619-capacity Stade Saputo, which is not winterized.
The CFL’s Montreal Alouettes played at Olympic Stadium until moving to McGill’s Molson Stadium in 1998. The city last hosted the Grey Cup at the Big O in 2008 before a crowd of 66,308.
Olympic Stadium was originally built for the 1976 Summer Games and the since-relocated Montreal Expos of MLB.
The stadium has also been known as the “Big Owe” for its ballooning construction costs, which contributed to an Olympic debt that took 30 years to pay off.
Although the main Olympic Stadium was built just in time to host the Games, the roof wasn’t completed until 1987. It was replaced in 1998 with a non-retractable roof made of Teflon-coated fibreglass that proved equally unreliable, rendering the stadium unusable when more than three centimetres of snow fell.
The government has promised the new roof will allow the stadium to stay open year-round, almost triple gross revenue and last an expected 50 years.
RELATED: Ontario sports minister, former CFL player to donate brain to concussion research
Ontario’s sport minister has announced his plan to retire from cabinet and provincial politics, stepping down from his role at the beginning of August.
Neil Lumsden, who sits as the MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, wrote an open letter announcing his retirement from politics.
“For the past four years, I have served alongside a team that understands the impact sport and recreation has on this province,” Lumsden wrote in his letter.
“I am deeply grateful to Premier Ford for the opportunity to serve in cabinet and for the confidence he has placed in me throughout my time as a minister.”
Lumsden was first elected for Hamilton in 2022, taking the seat from Paul Miller, who was removed from the Ontario NDP ahead of the 2022 election and had held the riding since 2007.
He played in the Canadian Football League during his sporting career, spending time in Toronto, Hamilton and Edmonton and winning three Grey Cups.
Ford thanked Lumsden for his service in a statement on Friday.
“Neil has been a dedicated public servant with a storied career during his time in the CFL, as a minister and as the MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek,” Ford wrote.
“In particular, I want to thank Neil for his work supporting Toronto’s successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup. Ontario is lucky to have benefited from his leadership. I wish Neil and his family all the very best in his retirement.”
Lumsden’s retirement sets up a third byelection that will need to be called.
Voters in Scarborough Southwest will head to the polls this year to select a replacement for Doly Begum, who left the Ontario NDP to run for the federal Liberals.
Meanwhile, Caroline Mulroney’s York-Simcoe riding will elect a new representative after she also retired from politics earlier in the summer.
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