Winnipeg bargain stores are seeing parents hunting for deals on school supplies for their children this academic season.

Back-to-school shopping generates more than $4.5 billion annually, and households can spend from $600 to $750 per child, according to a Retail Council of Canada report in 2026. With inflation rising to three per cent in July, parents say there’s no way around it.

“I’m so tired of hearing about the rising costs, I mean, it sucks, but we all have to deal with it,” said parent Graham Voth in an interview at Value Village.

An organization that makes affordable back-to-school backpack kits for kids in northern communities saw an increase in interest.

Danica Lazatin, sales and marketing co-ordinator at Tru-North Supply, said they’ve filled 400 backpacks this season.

The first day of classes is on Sept. 9.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

CALGARY – Although his team was trailing late in the game, Dedrick Mills just knew there was a big play coming for the Calgary Stampeders.

His instincts proved to be right as Mills ran for a 49-yard touchdown with 29 seconds left in the game to lead the Stampeders to a 28-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday at McMahon Stadium.

“I don’t care when it comes, but it’s coming,” said Mills, who finished with 118 yards on 14 carries. “I just knew it was going to be something big, something special for the team.

“The O-line opened up the hole and I just found a way to get through it and then the receivers were blocking down the field. I had to make one guy miss and that’s what I did just to get in the end zone. That’s what they pay me for.”

Despite tossing his first CFL touchdown pass earlier in the game, quarterback Josh Love’s favourite moment was watching Mills break free for the game-winning score.

“Man, that felt awesome,” said Love, who completed 25 of 36 passes for 274 yards. “Just the atmosphere here and all the fans, the way they stayed in it for us. I know it’s been tough the last couple weeks, but we’re just going to build on that momentum.”

Although the Stampeders missed the two-point convert, they held on for the come-from-behind victory to improve to 5-6.

Linebacker Kyle Wilson picked off a pass by Hamilton’s backup quarterback Jake Dolegala to end the game, much to the delight of the 19,855 fans in attendance.

“I thought they helped us when we needed them, so excited about that,” said Calgary coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “It’s fun to hear (fans) getting into it and to reward them with a win. We haven’t been doing well here at McMahon.

“I’ve been really trying to preach to the guys, focus on the next play and win that play and that’s what we did. That’s how we won the game.”

With Vernon Adams Jr. out of Calgary’s lineup due to a head injury, Love made his first CFL start for the Stampeders and threw a touchdown pass to Ajou Ajou.

“Love did a great job,” Mills said. “When one goes down, you’ve got to be able to step up and just finish the job. That’s what he did there and I’m so proud of him, man. He put the ball in the right places, got the ball to the right people and just allowed us to win the game.”

Making his first appearance of the season for Calgary after sustaining a groin injury during training camp, Rene Paredes kicked five field goals.

Tre Ford threw touchdown passes to Myron Mitchell and Kenny Lawler for the Tiger-Cats (4-8), who have lost two consecutive games.

“Obviously after a loss you’re flustered, right,” Ford said. “There’s a lot of emotion going on in the locker room, but we’ve got a good group of guys. We’re going to bounce back.”

In addition to completing 15 of 24 passes for 212 yards, Ford ran for 80 yards on six carries.

Marc Liegghio kicked three field goals for the Ticats.

After Paredes opened the scoring with a 42-yard field goal, the Ticats answered with a touchdown when Mitchell caught a 51-yard pass from Ford to cap off a three-play, 70-yard drive.

Paredes booted a 32-yard field goal at 11:46 of the first quarter before Liegghio responded with one from 37 yards out at 1:39 of the second quarter.

After a 45-yard field goal by Paredes, the veteran Calgary kicker attempted another from 42 yards, but missed it wide to the right.

The Ticats took a 13-9 lead at 13:27 of the second quarter thanks to a 38-yard field goal by Liegghio.

Dejon Brissett delivered in Calgary’s final drive of the first half by hauling in a long pass from Love before doing a forward somersault for a 55-yard gain.

“He had a really good angle and he went down and tracked it,” Love said. “He made a really good catch.”

Four plays later, Ajou caught a five-yard pass from Love to put Calgary up 16-13.

“It was pretty much a similar look we had in practice,” Love said. “I literally threw that some touchdown to Ajou earlier on in the week and I had a similar look and knew he was going to pop, really, and he just made a good play.”

Ajou is the 13th different Calgary player to score a touchdown this season, which gives the Stampeders the league lead in that category.

After their first drive stalled to start the third quarter, the Ticats got the ball right back in Calgary territory when defensive lineman Charbel Dabire intercepted a pass at the 14-yard line.

Love’s pass deflected off offensive linemen D’Antne Demery and Chris Fortin before Dabire reached out to grab the loose ball.

On the next play, Ford fired a 14-yard strike into the end zone to Lawler to put the Ticats back up 20-16.

Following a 51-yard field goal by Paredes early in the fourth quarter, Liegghio responded with a kick of his own from 36 yards out.

“We had a lead in the fourth quarter and we weren’t able to finish it off,” said Hamilton coach Scott Milanovich. “I wasn’t thrilled with our mood at halftime, but we picked it up and played better in the second half.”

Paredes added a 47-yard field goal with 2:20 remaining in the game to pull the Stamps within a point before Mills ran in for the game-winning touchdown.

UP NEXT

Tiger-Cats: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Monday, Sept. 7.

Stampeders: Host the Edmonton Elks on Monday, Sept. 7.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Many Winnipeggers are not interested in or following the civic races as October’s election day ticks closer, polling shows, amid decreasing voter turnout.

“The city is cash-strapped and not really in a position to do much. People are going to be disengaged because we can vote, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to change anything,” said Aaron Moore, University of Winnipeg political science professor.

In 2022, 37.5 per cent of Winnipeggers cast a ballot; in 2018, it was 42 per cent, and in 2014 it was 50 per cent, according to the city’s official election results from 2014 to 2022.

Polling shows that 46 per cent of Winnipeggers don’t want Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham for a second term, according to a Probe Research and Abacus Data survey released in June 2026 on behalf of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Gillingham won his term in 2022 with 27.54 per cent support, a close split with Glen Murray, who had 25 per cent in 2022, according to the city’s official election results.

Watch the video above for the full story.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A byelection has been called in the riding of Abbotsford-Mission, with the vote to be held 28 days from now. BC Ferries cancels multiple sailings due to mechanical issues on two of its ageing vessels. The families of B.C. residents still missing after the flash floods in Nepal continue their agonizing wait to hear about their loved ones.

Watch ‘Global News at 6 BC’ for the latest news in British Columbia.

Click here for more Global BC videos

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon’s plan to more than halve temporary immigration in Quebec drew criticism from his rivals Saturday, who accused him of making immigrants bear the blame for problems in public schools and of risking worsening the province’s labour shortage.

St-Pierre Plamondon said a PQ government would reduce the number of temporary immigrants in Quebec from more than 500,000 to between 200,000 and 250,000, arguing current levels have exceeded the province’s capacity to provide housing and public services.

The debate over immigration came on the third day of the provincial election campaign, as Quebec’s party leaders fanned out across the province with promises on public transit, home care, gasoline prices and the economy.

“We’re facing a total loss of control of our immigration system,” he said outside a Quebec City high school where modular classrooms are being used to accommodate students.

St-Pierre Plamondon blamed the governing Coalition Avenir Québec for the sharp rise in temporary immigration, targeting CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette over her previous tenure as immigration minister.

As it reduced temporary immigration, the sovereigntist PQ would protect sectors that rely heavily on temporary workers, including agriculture, manufacturing and health care, while taking regional needs into account, he said.

The party also reiterated its pledge to reduce permanent immigration to 35,000 people a year, down from the government’s current target of 45,000. Until its temporary immigration target is reached, it would select economic immigrants seeking permanent residence from among temporary immigrants already in Quebec rather than from abroad.

St-Pierre Plamondon rejected suggestions that he was blaming immigrants themselves for strains on public services.

“Never will the Parti Québécois blame people who become Quebecers,” he said. “We blame the CAQ and the federal government.”

Also campaigning in Quebec City, Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal criticized St-Pierre Plamondon’s decision to make the announcement outside a school, accusing him of making immigrant children bear the blame for overcrowding and deteriorating school infrastructure.

“I find it appalling that Mr. Paul St-Pierre Plamondon continues to talk about immigration in such a negative way,” Ghazal said. “I was that immigrant child myself, a child of Bill 101.”

Bill 101, Quebec’s landmark French-language law, generally requires children of immigrants to attend French-language schools.

Ghazal blamed successive governments for years of underinvestment in public schools, adding: “We can’t make immigrant children bear the blame for that.”

In Shawinigan, Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard also criticized the PQ proposal, arguing it would worsen Quebec’s labour shortage as businesses grapple with the U.S. trade war.

“It’s the worst time to tell the business community and entrepreneurs that we’re going to have even less labour,” Milliard said.

Earlier Saturday in Drummondville, CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette appealed to sovereigntist voters who are reluctant to hold a referendum in the coming years to back her party rather than the PQ.

“Many people who would be tempted to vote Yes (…) are aware that this is the worst time in the last 50 years to hold a referendum,” she said, pointing to the trade war with the United States.

Fréchette also promised an additional $1 billion over four years for homecare services.

Elsewhere, Ghazal pledged $23 billion over 10 years to repair and expand public transit infrastructure.

Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime promised to pull Quebec out of its cap-and-trade carbon market and suspend the province’s 19.2-cent-per-litre fuel tax for five months, measures he said would lower gasoline prices by about 33 cents a litre.

Milliard also promised to reduce red tape for small and medium-sized businesses.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was deported to the United Kingdom after his arrest by American immigration authorities, U.S. officials said Saturday.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Yiannopoulos was returned to his home country Friday after being accused of overstaying after entering the U.S. legally in May 2019. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal July 22 after he failed to show up for an immigration hearing, a Homeland Security spokesperson said.

Yiannopoulos was arrested Thursday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws,” a Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.

Yiannopoulos and his representatives did not respond to requests for comment, and he has not posted on the social platform X since Thursday.

Yiannopoulos backed President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown

Yiannopoulos is a well-known champion of conservative causes and has frequently taken provocative public positions criticizing feminism, Islam and immigrants. He has been especially supportive of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policy, aimed at people in the country illegally.

“Zero immigration for the next 20 years. No ifs, no buts,” Yiannopoulos said on X last year.

The British national has most recently worked for the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who performed in New Orleans on Friday evening.

Yiannopoulos rose to fame in the early 2010s as an incendiary writer for the conservative website Breitbart News. He resigned in 2017 after a video of him endorsing pedophilia resurfaced online. He later apologized for the remarks and said he himself was a victim of sexual assault as a minor.

Yiannopoulos’ arrest and deportation come amid a nationwide uptick in detentions as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.

In social media posts, the Department of Homeland Security touted Yiannopoulos’ arrest and posted a booking photo of him. It added that it encourages people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily, saying the U.S. offers “$3,000 and a free flight to self-deport.”

“We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return,” the department said.

The department did not respond Saturday to questions seeking more details about Yiannopoulos’ legal entry into the U.S. in 2019, including whether he was granted a visa.

Controversy has swirled around the provocateur for years

Far-right conservative activist Laura Loomer swiftly took to social media to applaud Yiannopoulos’ arrest after years of public feuding between the two personalities.

“I was the first person to report on the fact that Milo was in the US illegally where he incited violence against President Trump and worked for Marjorie Traitor Greene,” Loomer said on X.

Controversy around Yiannopoulos ballooned in 2017 when he carried out what he called his “Troll Academy Tour” across college campuses nationwide. Fights broke out when some students protested his appearances and accused him of hate speech, while others celebrated him as a champion of free speech. Around that time Buzzfeed reported on Yiannopoulos’ cozy relationships with self-proclaimed white nationalists.

In recent years Yiannopoulos continued to work in the orbit of conservative activism. In 2022 he was an intern for former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to the Washington Post. He subsequently ran the short-lived 2024 presidential campaign for Ye.

Most recently, Yiannopoulos has worked as a spokesperson for Ye, who has been beset by controversy of his own following antisemitic comments that the rapper has since apologized for.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A byelection has been called in British Columbia after a B.C. Conservative MLA resigned last week, giving leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay a chance to sit in the legislature.

But in many ways, the timing could not be worse for Findlay, whose caucus has lost six MLAs in recent weeks.

An audio recording appeared on social media Thursday of a person who sounds like Findlay saying she thought if someone stepped aside as a legislator, “I could give them a role as senior adviser in their same portfolio.”

The MLA who resigned, Reann Gasper, has since become Findlay’s deputy chief of staff.

Findlay has addressed the recording and said suggestions it shows her illegally offering jobs to legislators in exchange for resigning so she could stand in a byelection are “preposterous.”

The B.C. Conservative leader currently does not hold a seat in the legislature. The byelection is set for Sept. 26.

Trevor Bolin, the party’s former leader, said the timing of the audio’s release “couldn’t be worse” because of various issues facing the Conservatives.

“I think, you know, Kerri-Lynne needs to get a handle on not only her leadership with the caucus, but as well as the MLAs and the members in British Columbia,” Bolin told Global News.

Findlay said on social media Thursday that it appeared the “unverified” audio recording was made at a July caucus meeting, calling it a “political smear job.”

It is illegal under the Criminal Code to negotiate a reward or benefit related to resignation from political office, but Findlay said the comments in the recording, published by an anonymous account known as “The Findlay Files,” were “normal political discussions” that did not constitute a criminal offence.

In addition to the Criminal Code bribery prohibition, which is subject to up to five years’ prison, BC legislature standing orders ban the offer of money or other advantages to members for promoting any matter “depending or to be transacted” in the house.

The B.C. RCMP said it was aware of the social media post.

“However, generally speaking, the RCMP does not confirm or deny any investigation, or the identity of any person who may be subject to an investigation, until such time as charges have been laid,” a spokesperson said in an email Friday.

It’s not only the audio hanging over Findlay going into a byelection. Six MLAs have left the party in the past month, four of them in the past week.

The exodus began Aug. 14, when longtime MLA Peter Milobar announced he would leave the party to sit as an independent.

About 10 days later, Ian Paton left the BC Conservatives and signalled he and Milobar planned to form a new party before the fall legislative session.

Since Aug. 24, four others have left: Rosalyn Bird, Teresa Wat, Brennan Day and Bruce Banman.

Bolin also said he’s hearing six to eight more Conservative MLAs could leave before the fall sitting.

“There’s obviously an issue in the party, there’s an issue in caucus, there’s an issue with the executive,” he said. “Don’t hide from it, don’t deny it, take it head on and fix this issue because the last thing we need is more centre-to-right parties popping up just to split that vote.”

He added he believes the party can recover ahead of a potential general election, which has to be held no later than October 2028, but encouraged Findlay to change the closed-door meetings policy, improve transparency and work with communities and her MLAs.

“Parties last forever, leaders come and go, MLAs come and go, politicians have expiry dates, but at the end of the day, the platforms and the policies that the members put in place are what lasts a lifetime,” he said.

If Findlay chooses to run in the riding, she would face former NDP MLA and agriculture and food minister Pam Alexis. Alexis was elected in the 2020 election before losing to Gasper in 2024 by about 2,600 votes.

OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie said in a post on X on Saturday that her party does not intend to run a candidate despite support she said they have in the Fraser Valley.

“I do not believe it would be ethical to run in a race to try and block a major party leader from getting into the legislature to lead her caucus,” she wrote.

Brodie called on CentreBC and the likely party led by Milobar and Paton to not run candidates, either under their banners or as independents.

Findlay thanked Brodie for her stance and said it would send a message to the B.C. NDP. She did not confirm in the post if she will be running.

Milobar, along with fellow defector Ian Paton, have said they plan to start a new party after leaving Findlay’s caucus. In an interview Saturday, Milobar said they are still working with Elections BC on the process to become official.

He said both he and Paton want their party to be credible and that people “will want to see more meat on the bone of the party that we’re setting up.”

“If it was three months down the road, I’m fully confident we’d be well equipped to put a good effort in and have a credible candidate and be a force, but we’re not in that situation,” he said.

“We’re five days post announcement (of plans for the new party) and the byelection has been called.”

—with files from Global News’ Amy Judd and The Canadian Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

OTTAWA – In a season that has been fraught with challenges, the Ottawa Redblacks are hoping this will be the week their luck will change.

The Redblacks (0-10) will look to pick up their first victory of the season when they take on the B.C. Lions (5-5) on Sunday night at TD Place Stadium.

“We’re playing for the love of the game right now and we owe it to the football gods to go out there and play the game the right way,” said Ottawa head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. “So you know, I think a win would do a lot for us.

“We’re going to go attack that tomorrow and try to find a way to get that win.”

Earlier this week, the Redblacks fired vice-president of football operations Shawn Burke and announced the hiring of Jim Popp as a senior football adviser. They were the latest personnel changes in a season that has fallen far short of expectations.

The Lions, meanwhile, are coming off a 30-16 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders that extended their winning streak to four games.

B.C.’s taut defence will make things difficult for Ottawa quarterback Jake Maier, who has struggled this season. Maier, who’s averaging 7.5 yards per attempt, was ranked last among starters entering Week 13, well below the league average of 8.9.

“I try not to think about the past anymore, I think it’s just about here we are,” said Maier. “We’ve got a good team coming in (that’s) playing really well, but I think we need to just play well.

“And if that’s good enough to earn us a win, then that’s great.”

Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke has thrown for over 300 yards in three straight games. B.C.’s run game is averaging 112.8 yards per game, third-best in the CFL.

Ottawa’s defence has struggled to contain opposing offences all season. The Redblacks have surrendered an average of 435.8 net yards per game, including 329.6 through the air, while allowing opponents to convert 56.7 per cent of their second-down opportunities.

Defensive back Marcus Barnes admitted the losses have been tough, but said the players continue to put the work in to turn things around.

“We’re not going to make excuses or let it kind of break us,” Barnes says. “You can see everybody wants that win (as) bad as hell, like we’re hungry for it. So I don’t think that will be a problem.”

LIONS (5-5) AT REDBLACKS (1-10)

BAD HISTORY: A loss Sunday would put Maier on the wrong side of history. No CFL quarterback has ever lost 11 starts in a row to start a season. Maier is the fourth quarterback to start a season 0-10.

RUNNING HOT: B.C.’s Justin McInnis has 12 catches for 292 yards and a TD in his last three games. He made his 300th career reception last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Ontario Premier Doug Ford delivered a message to U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, revealing a new Lake Ontario sign and saying the lake’s name is “always going to be Lake Ontario.”

The reveal of the sign in Winona, Ont., east of Hamilton, came as the U.S. president maintains his stance that Lake Ontario has been renamed Lake America after he signed an executive order earlier this week.

“President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario,” Ford told reporters. “I received numerous calls from governors, they’re saying we’re always going to call it Lake Ontario, and obviously Canada’s always going to call it Lake Ontario.

“We’re resilient and we’re strong Canadians and we’re always going to protect our sovereignty, always and we’ll never, ever back down.”

Trump signed an order directing the U.S. government to refer to Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes, as “Lake America,” in his latest shot against Canada after trade talks fell apart last week.

He also criticized Canada’s trade policies while speaking in the Oval Office, but insisted he loved the country and that renaming the lake was not about sending a message.

Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to the change on Thursday, saying the name of Lake Ontario would remain “now and always.” Those words also appeared on the sign unveiled Saturday.

Carney also noted in a statement that the name Lake Ontario is more than 400 years old and “comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means ‘the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.'”

Some U.S. politicians and MapQuest criticized and ridiculed the name change, with the mapping company saying it would not change the name on its maps.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, took to social media to post a video of himself at a McDonald’s restaurant signing a fast food napkin to decree Lake Michigan would now be called “Lake Wisconsin.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also posted a photo of Trump Tower in Chicago, with the president’s name crossed out and the name “Natalie” featured, saying it was now called “Natalie Tower.” It appeared to be a reference to Natalie Harp, one of Trump’s closest aides.

The president has not backed down on the renaming, posting multiple images and videos on his Truth Social platform Friday and Saturday. In one such video, AI-generated Canada geese with what resembles Trump’s hairstyle march with weapons while the words “Lake America” appear below them.

Trump’s executive order says the U.S. lays claim to most of the “volume” of Lake Ontario and is mostly responsible for its security, economic activity and environmental stewardship.

The order directs U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to work with the Board on Geographic Names to ensure all U.S. federal government references to Lake Ontario, “including on executive department and agency maps, contracts, and other documents and communications,” reflect Trump’s name change.

Democrats, who are running to take control of Congress in November’s midterm elections, lambasted the move for not addressing Americans’ priorities.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump was putting his own grievances first and “Americans last.”

“Inflation increasing. The Iran war raging on with no end in sight. A trade war with Canada. And what does Trump want? To rename Lake Ontario,” he wrote on social media.

–with files from Global News’ Sean Boynton and Touria Izri

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith plans to meet with U.S. officials next week during a trip south of the border.

According to Sam Blackett, press secretary for Smith, the meetings have been added to a trip planned and booked months ago.

“As the Premier said earlier this week, Canadian legislators should be doubling down on diplomacy with members of the U.S. Congress and lawmakers in both parties to ensure they understand how destructive these tariffs are for the American people, and how we will be there to help as soon as the tariffs are reversed,” Blackett said in an emailed statement.

Smith is expected to meet with Mark Ezell, the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Stephanie Coleman, the head of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., Deana Ivey.

The premier will be joined by Alberta’s senior U.S. representative Nathan Cooper.

Earlier this week, Smith said the U.S. had “no excuse for their behaviour” after trade talks fell apart, but did not believe Canada could win through “brute force.”

She also rejected calls by the Opposition NDP, along with others such as former premier Jason Kenney, to use Alberta’s energy exports as a high-stakes bargaining chip.

The U.S. has the power to cripple Canada energy-wise, she cautioned.

Smith predicted if Canada were to enact a 50 per cent tariff on the four million barrels of oil exported south each day, the U.S. would retaliate with tariffs of 50 to 100 per cent on refined oil and gas products exported to Canada, such as aviation fuel.

Blackett said Alberta’s diplomatic efforts include participation in organizations like the Council of State Governments (CSG) Midwest, where MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka Jennifer Johnson serves as representative for the province.

Johnson, a backbencher in Smith’s United Conservative caucus, is expected to be joined next week at the U.S. organization’s annual Midwestern Legislative Conference by six members of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s caucus.

Saskatchewan is a full member of the Council of State Governments Midwest, while Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario are affiliate members.

During a news conference this past week, Smith also called for an accelerated approval timeline for the West Coast pipeline her government is pitching, and that she’s formed two committees in response to the breakdown in trade talks.

Smith said one committee, made up of her cabinet members, is set to meet Thursday to discuss following Saskatchewan’s lead by imposing a 50 per cent tax on U.S. alcohol brought into that province.

She said she prefers Moe’s approach to an outright ban on American alcohol in Alberta, noting Canadian products aren’t blocked from going south of the border.

—with files from Global News’ Karen Bartko and The Canadian Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.