Young people are looking for jobs — just not where employers are looking to hire them, a new survey shows.

Most small businesses prefer personal connections and networks to recruit young Canadians, with six in 10 (62 per cent) preferring them over online job boards (44 per cent), a survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows.

This is in contrast to how young Canadians look for jobs, with almost three in four (73 per cent) looking for jobs on online job boards, the survey shows.

While the mismatch is not new, it comes at a time when Canada is facing high youth unemployment.

Younger Canadians, though, saw unemployment rise by a larger margin than the overall rate in April, Statistics Canada shows, as the rate for Canadians aged 15 to 24 rose by half a percentage point to 14.3 per cent.

In September 2025, the youth unemployment rate reached 14.6 per cent — the highest level in 15 years outside the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Recruitment tools can also differ based on the sector. Almost half (47 per cent) of businesses in the professional services sector, such as accounting and engineering firms, rely on both online job boards and co-op and internship programs to hire people.

Over a third of such businesses also use school or post-secondary career services, the report found.

On the other hand, consumer-facing industries like retail, hospitality and the arts are more open to low-cost tactics such as social media applications, unsolicited applications and walk-ins based on “help wanted” signs.

Larger businesses are more likely to use multiple recruitment methods compared to smaller firms, the survey said.

“For instance, less than a third of businesses with 0–4 employees use online job boards, compared to more than two-thirds of businesses with over 50 employees,” the report added.

Job-seeking trends also differ by province. Quebec youth were less likely to use online job boards and more likely to send in unsolicited applications, while Ontario youth were more likely to use co-op or internship programs and academic career services, the report said.

Most small business employers said they prioritize soft skills and attitude over credentials or experience. More than nine in 10 (91 per cent) said they prioritize their employees having a “positive attitude” or “enthusiasm.”

Additionally, 84 per cent said they look for “motivation,” 76 per cent said they look for “professionalism” and 73 per cent said they want employees to have good communication skills.

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

An Ontario man whose brother died when his call to 911 was dropped and left uninvestigated is urging the provincial government to reform the rules governing call takers in a bid to make sure the tragedy is never repeated.

In August 2024, Ralph Buerger called 911 in Niagara Region, desperate for emergency medical help, but was unable to speak in a call that lasted for 35 seconds.

A recording of the call given to his family appears to feature a sound which could be someone falling.

The brief call, however, did not trigger a wellness check from police or paramedics, and Ralph, 59, was found dead in the morning.

Ever since, his two siblings have been seeking justice.

Rick Buerger and Christine Stark have tried to get answers from Niagara Regional Police and various oversight bodies, but say they’ve been blocked at every turn.

Recently, they gathered signatures for a petition to the provincial government, begging for an overhaul to the rules to make sure call takers never miss signs like their brother’s attempts to reach 911.

“My brother, Ralph Buerger, lost his life because his call for help went unheard,” the petition put together by Rick reads. “He made a desperate 911 call, hoping to get assistance, but tragically, there was no response.”

Through his attempts to get answers from Niagara Regional Police, Rick said he’s concerned call takers may not be provided with adequate noise-cancelling headphones or have their hearing regularly tested.

Those two changes, he contends, could have been the difference when his brother called.

“In Ralph’s memory, it’s crucial that steps are taken to prevent similar tragedies. Enhancing the hearing capabilities of call takers could significantly improve emergency response outcomes,” Rick wrote.

“Please, let’s ensure that no other family has to endure what ours did, losing a loved one when help was right there, but unheard.”

The petition drew more than 1,400 signatures from residents in Niagara Region and was tabled at Queen’s Park in mid-April by local NDP MPP Jeff Burch.

“What happened to Ralph Buerger is heartbreaking and deeply troubling,” he said in a statement.

“Folks need to know that when they call 911, help will come. The government should take these concerns seriously and ensure operators have the resources, equipment, training, and standards they need, so no other family is left searching for answers.”

Burch said he had also raised the issue “directly” with Solicitor General Michael Kerzner.

His office, however, said it had not received the petition.

“Our government is investing over $208 million support emergency communication centres to transition to NG9-1-1,” a spokesperson for the solicitor general wrote in a statement.

“NG9-1-1 will identify GPS coordinates to better identify the location of the caller, resulting in faster and more informed emergency response and addressing past coroner inquest recommendations. It will also enable the public to send and receive real-time text messages with 9-1-1 communications centres, enabling forms of communication when a call is not possible.”

A spokesperson for Niagara Regional Police said officers had met with Ralph’s family, but offered no further details.

Rick and his sister Christine have previously said the local police force hasn’t helped with their requests, blocking an attempt to present to the police board and forcing them to file a freedom of information request to hear the 911 call.

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

Nakon’i’a with Kunsi is a TV puppet show to hit the screens in the coming year about learning the Nakoda language.

The show is currently in production in Saskatoon, and it was all inspired by a close friend of the director.

“She teaches children, you know, teaches in schools, teaches a lot of communities using her puppet as a resource and I just thought maybe we can turn this into a children’s TV show,” said Cory Generoux, writer and director.

“When I was gifted the puppet, me teaching took on a whole new dimension,” said Theresa O’Watch, an actress and friend of the director.

Generoux says it’s important to protect this language as it is considered endangered, meaning it has fewer than 100 speakers.

“It’s just incredibly important that we do this and it starts in the home, it starts with children, with the generation that we have now, which is a perfect way to showcase this language.”

Generoux is excited as this is a new chapter in preserving the language. “It’s actually history in the making in that nothing like this has ever been done entirely in the Nakota language,” Generoux said.

“And when I’m directing and I’m watching the screens, watching that action take place brings a huge smile to my face because it’s all in Nakoda, and you know how special that is.”

And while the show is made for children, all ages can learn something.

“For our language to survive, we need the parents to start bringing it into the homes and not just in the schools. We need it in the homes, and this is that opportunity to do that.”

The 13-episode series will air later in the year on APTN.

Watch the video above for a look behind the scenes.

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

Fifteen-year-old Calgary student, Ania Udofia, has placed at this year’s World of 8 Billion International Student Video Contest.

Anie was one of 5,000 students to enter the competition, but her project examining methods to cool down AI data centres set her apart from the crowd. As part of her research, the teen realized the popular evaporative technique to cool down the facilities could be improved.

“I realized all that water is being wasted because of this specific strategy that they are using which is evaporative cooling,” Anie says, “And that there are other ways that we get to mitigate this through immersive cooling that I did more research about.”

Anie added that she was shocked to learn some data centres use 5 million gallons of water a day to cool servers. Her solution is to move to a liquid immersion technique, submerging servers in non-conductive fluid and eliminating water waste.

“I had already been exploring ways in which AI can be used,” Anie says, “but I also wanted to explore the negatives and how it affects the environment and also the energy sector, as well.”

Anie researched, shot and edited her one-minute video project herself. Her cooling theory video earned her an honourable mention at the competition and a $300 prize.

Richard Zhao, an AI expert from the University of Calgary’s computer science department, weighed in on what current cooldown methods are used for data centres.

“There’s recycling water centres where they essentially take the water and then they try to cool the data center, recycle the water so they can use it again,” he says. “Another way to cool a data centre is using running water.”

Zhao also mentioned that the difference in size of data centres requires different cooling techniques.

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

Siblings Joseph Lambert and Donna Morin wait anxiously at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport for a sister they’ve never met.

“I’ll probably just be crying, it’s hard to say what’s going to happen because I’m in shock still,” said Morin.

They and their sister, Melody Roberts, are ’60s Scoop survivors, and were separated from their family at a young age. From the 1950s to the 1980s, government policy allowed First Nations, Metis and Inuit children to be removed from their families and adopted by non-Indigenous parents.

When Roberts finally landed, travelling in from Oregon, the three embraced and tears of joy were shed.

“The heart is just bursting, bursting with happiness,” explained Roberts.

“I’m just really looking forward to get to knowing my sister and brother more. My adopted family told me I was Indigenous, I was adopted when I understood what it meant, but they never told me about the ’60s Scoop. I’m not even sure they knew about it when I was taken from the hospital.

Lambert and Morin were only able to meet a year ago after working with a service provider. Despite their short time together, they’ve built a strong connection and are making up for lost time by spending as much time together as possible, including this past Christmas.

“It’s fun, you know,” explained Lambert. “I can be open with her and I want to be open with her. It’s no time now for silly lies and stories; that ain’t happening. Everything’s straight up. It’s love — there’s a lot of love between us, I think.”

Uniting the three was made possible with help from the Hope Centre and ’60s Scoop Alliance of Manitoba. The Hope Centre started by looking through the post-adoption papers and doing some research, eventually finding Roberts living in Oregon.

“I think their story needs to be told,” explained Susanna Tasse, a community outreach coordinator with the Hope Centre. “It’s heartbreaking that the parents aren’t here. I know the mother died of a broken heart but they have each other and I think they’ll live through that and I do hope we honour the parents event though they passed on. They never got to be here, to see this and to unite their children.”

During the visit, the Hope Centre organized a lunch where the siblings were able to spend time with other family members, and Roberts could begin learning more about where she came from. Pictures of loved ones were shared, immediately striking a chord with Roberts.

“Just figuring out a lot of stuff about my family,” explained Roberts. “It’s warming to see the resemblances, and finding a little information about them and where they’re at and what they did, it’s been wonderful”

Recent studies suggest around 20,000 children were taken from their families as part of the ’60s Scoop.

In this case, Roberts paid for her own ticket to travel to Winnipeg, but Coleen Rajotte with the ’60s Scoop Alliance of Manitoba believes governments need to step up to make sure families are able to connect and those who do have the support they need.

“There used to be a repatriation program in Manitoba that funded Sixties Scoop survivors to come back home and that no longer exists,” explained Rajotte.

“We are lobbying to have something like that put in place again. We need funding and resources to get ’60s Scoop survivors back to their families. There’s so much more work to be done. People have lost their language and their connection to family and community and that needs to be rebuilt.”

As for what’s next for the siblings, the plan is to continue to build their relationships even after Robert finished her Winnipeg visit.

“It’s going to be great, I don’t have a worry about it. We’re going to keep in touch, it’s going to be great.” said Roberts.

Aside from keeping in touch, the plan is also to soon make a trip south of the border to see Roberts’ home as well.

“I want to go to Oregon,” explained Lambert. “It’s beautiful there. She’s sent me lots of pictures from there, the fishing is fantastic, looking forward to it.”

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

Canada’s agriculture minister says he had a good conversation with a group of Saskatchewan agriculture stakeholders Tuesday, as he continues consultation with stakeholders from across the country on the government’s framework for future agriculture policies.

Minister Heath MacDonald says sitting down with industry leaders, including directors of research councils, producer associations and university deans, presents an opportunity on the research side of future policymaking.

“The message that I received in there was that we need more collaboration between the federal, provincial, private sector and public. And it goes everywhere from investment to streamlining and data,” MacDonald told reporters Tuesday following the meeting at the University of Saskatchewan.

The meeting, which was closed to the media, is among a series of other consultations between the minister and industry stakeholders that will help inform the development of the Next Policy Framework (NPF).

This is set to replace the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership — a five-year program that sets out strategic initiatives between the federal and provincial governments, set to end in 2028.

The NPF is expected to serve as the main agreement among federal, provincial and territorial governments, guiding future investments in programming to support the agriculture sector. It is expected to also be a five-year agreement, set to end in 2033.

MacDonald also says that stakeholders indicated they want to see regulatory impediments removed and remains optimistic about research opportunities in the province.

“I think there’s a real opportunity in the research side coming out of this. And that’s what I heard more so today as well,” he said.

Looming in the background of these discussions is the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review, scheduled for this summer and top of mind for many Saskatchewan producers, as the U.S. was the province’s top agri-food export destination last year.

“The uncertainty that some of these negotiations play is challenging for our producers and ranchers, so we’ll continue to put them, keep them front of mind with every discussion we have,” MacDonald said.

MacDonald is scheduled to sit down with Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister, David Marit, on Wednesday, where talks will also focus on the NPF, provincial and federal collaboration, and addressing concerns surrounding Indian Head, Saskatchewan’s now-closed federal research farm, according to MacDonald.

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

A weekend fire at the Fairview homeless encampment in Penticton, B.C., has renewed concerns about public safety and prompted more calls for immediate action to mitigate the risks.

On Saturday evening, fast-moving flames erupted at the site along a busy stretch of Highway 97.

Black plumes of smoke billowed in the sky while sounds of exploding propane tanks filled the air.

“It was actually very alarming,” said Jenifer Stewart, who happened to be driving by at the time. “I was actually concerned that there was going to be an explosion and really felt like the cars needed to be out of the proximity.”

No one was injured, but Penticton’s fire chief said the danger was significant, particularly because of the propane tanks involved.

“This year we had some pretty intense fires down there,” the chief said. “The reason this one was a little bit more serious is just the propane tanks that were bleeding off at the time.”

No one was injured but Penticton’s fire chief said the blaze was potentially dangerous because of the propane tanks involved.

“This year we had some pretty intense fires down there,”  said Mike Larsson, the city’s fire chief. “The reason this one was a little bit more serious is just the propane tanks that were bleeding off at the time.”

But city officials say their ability to address safety concerns at the encampment is limited because the site is located on provincial land.

“We’ll respond to any emergency incident, including fires down there and that’s what our role is,” Larsson said.

Nearby business operators have repeatedly raised concerns about the risks posed by the encampment to both property and lives.

“What else has to happen?” asked Luke Bradley,  truck sales consultant, “You don’t want somebody to die but like, is that what it takes? I don’t know. I hope not.”

In February, the province launched court action seeking an injunction to dismantle the encampment.

However, the case was put on hold to allow encampment residents time to secure legal representation.

According to the province, the matter is still moving through the legal system although no court date has been set.

“The city is supporting the province for all their preparation for the hearings, the court hearings and we’re supporting the province in that position in the courtroom,” said Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield.

The Ministry of Transportation told Global News it has staff on site around the clock to monitor and report fire concerns.

It also said residents have been offered fire mitigation supplies, including fire-retardant tarps, fire blankets, fire extinguishers and solar lanterns.

Still, many residents and business owners say more needs to be done, including providing better support services for people living at the encampment.

“This encampment is not safe where it is for themselves, those that are in the encampment and the motorists and people going by,” Stewart said.

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

The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation has spent years digging in provincial archives, looking for death records of children from the time a residential school operated on the nation.

Now, it says it has evidence dozens of children died while attending the St. Francis Xavier Residential School that was operated on the First Nation in the Grande Prairie region.

“We were able to confirm the 82 school-aged children, with death records aged between seven and 16,” Sturgeon Lake Chief Sheldon Sunshine said.

“We found 202 children between the ages of one and 18 had perished.”

Those deaths cover a period between 1907 and 1961, while the residential school was open.

Nation members believe some of those children outside of the school ages may have also attended St. Francis Xavier, based off records and stories from elders.

“We can’t verify yet until we do the more detailed research on which of those children entered prior to age seven and which stayed later, so the number, 82, could be double that,” research coordinator Gloria Larocque said.

As Sturgeon Lake continues to search for its children, it’s calling on the government to help.

The chief and council want Ottawa and the Catholic Diocese to share more records on any child who attended the school, if they died and what happened next.

“We’re still going to fight for our kids,” said councillor Rosalyn Goodswimmer.

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) said it reached out to the nation to guide them in the best process to get the information they’re looking for.

“The records referenced are on LAC’s website in redacted form, as they are part of a previously released Access to Information package where personal information remains protected,” the department said in a statement.

“For requests of this type, when a researcher has specific rights and wishes to access records with personal information, they may make a request under Section 8(2)(k) of the Privacy Act for land claims, grievances and disputes where personal information would be released to them for this specific purpose.”

Meanwhile, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said it is actively working with Sturgeon Lake to review the progress and discuss their needs going forward.

“Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada provided Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation with $2,174,150 in funding for 2024-25 and 2025-26 to further their initiative,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Global News.

“The Government of Canada acknowledges the important work being led by Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Survivors, and research partners to help identify and honour children who never returned home from residential schools.”

Sturgeon Lake says it will also discuss how it will handle possible unmarked burial sites.

A team from the University of Alberta conducted ground searches on the nation, similar to what other First Nations have done at different residential school sites in Alberta.

The team says it found 62 potential unmarked graves, but warns who — or if anyone — is buried there is not confirmed.

It’s part of different research approaches chief Sunshine hopes will lead to one goal.

“Determine the number of children who perished in St. Francis Xavier Residential School,” Sunshine said.

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

A Vancouver SRO, operated by Atira, which receives most of its funding from the B.C. government, was recently kept open for months for only two tenants.

Now, the Gastown rooming house only has one tenant.

Robert, who did not provide his last name, is the last tenant of the 140-room Colonial Hotel in Gastown.

The building is now privately owned, and the government says that BC Housing has been working to find new homes for tenants, but Robert is refusing to move.

Robert told Global News that he likes the building, but he has been offered many other places.

B.C.’s Minister of Housing said she could not provide how much the Colonial Hotel has cost taxpayers and who is now paying for it.

“The work continues to support tenants in finding better housing, obviously, that doesn’t happen in a flash,” Christine Boyle said.

“BC Housing and the provider work one-on-one with tenants to find the right location that they can move to.”

In a statement to Global News, Atira would not reveal how long the building has stayed open for two tenants or the cost.

“Atira’s agreement to operate the Colonial Hotel as an SRO ended on April 30, 2026,” the organization said.

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

A major step is underway to extend Montreal’s metro blue line east to Anjou, with excavation now officially in progress.

A massive tunnel-boring machine has begun drilling eastbound, launching what will be a two-year effort to carve out roughly five kilometres of tunnel and make way for five new stations.

The machine itself is a striking piece of engineering, spanning three storeys in diameter and weighing about 2,000 tonnes. Built in Montreal over the past three months after arriving in February, the German-made drill is designed to break through rock and debris while simultaneously constructing the tunnel lining.

Officials say the project has been decades in the making.

“Today is a great day for the east end of Montreal,” said Chantal Rouleau on Tuesday, MNA for Pointe-aux-Trembles. “We were waiting for that project for many, many, many years.”

Project leaders say the specialized machine will allow crews to work efficiently, handling both excavation and finishing of the tunnel in one continuous process.

The tunneller has been named after Lisette St-Onge, who became Montreal’s first woman métro operator in 1981. The name was chosen through a public vote.

“I feel great, I feel nervous, I feel happy,” St-Onge said at the ceremony.

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada says the investment goes beyond this project, pointing to future development opportunities in the city’s east end.

“We need to keep this tunnel machine because we have so many other projects we need to do,” she told reporters.

Excavation is expected to continue until 2028. Officials say the project remains on schedule and on budget, with a targeted opening date of 2031.

Once complete, the five new stations are expected to bring tens of thousands of additional users into the STM’s metro network.

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