Quebec has rolled out its digital health dashboard pilot project on Saturday despite criticism over security breaches and technical issues.
Christopher Katsarov/ CP
Quebec has rolled out its digital health dashboard pilot project on Saturday despite criticism over security breaches and technical issues.
The system, which was first introduced in Montreal and Mauricie at 4 a.m, is meant to replace faxes, paper forms and manual scanning.
The government says the new platform — which was developed by Epic Systems — will enable clinicians to receive real-time alerts, avoid duplicate tests, better coordinate care and improve patient safety.
It is expected to cost Quebec $400 million to develop and implement, with $329 already spent, according to the government.
The pilot project has come under criticism in recent weeks from both opposition parties and healthcare professionals. Some have worried of a repeat of the auto insurance board fiasco last year.
Quebec’s attempt at a digital modernization of its auto insurance board led to a disastrous rollout, half a billion dollars in cost overruns and a public inquiry.
Health Minister Sonia Bélanger is urging Quebecers to be patient as the system could experience bugs and glitches.
At a news conference, Erika Bially, the technology VP of the public health agency Santé Québec, said most of the issues raised by staff were related to connection problems.
She said there were no security breaches since the system was rolled out and safeguards have been put in place.
According to Bially, just over 200 tickets related to technological problems with the system were opened. She says 169 of those have already been resolved.
The new digital health system will eventually be rolled out across the entire health care network, which is expected to cost between $1.5 billion and $3 billion. It will merge about 400 different IT systems.
Quebec’s health authority said in a press release on Friday that operating costs for the new system are expected to be about $100 million per year. It added that the system will save it at least $120 million a year.
Folks are headed to patios to soak up the spring sunshine.
New drinks, warm weather and hockey playoffs are the perfect combination for businesses to take full advantage of patio season.
Two Regina businesses, Earl’s Kitchen and Bar and Copperhead Brewing Co., are among those opening their patios to cater to customers who may want a side of sunshine with their order.
Copperhead Brewing Co. says it has had immense success with its new Fuzzy Peach Sour Beer. CEO Jeremy Brehm also highlighted the business’s four gluten-free beers, saying that he prioritizes creating drinks where you can’t taste the difference.
With hockey playoffs also in full swing, Earl’s Kitchen and Bar operations director Michael Valaitis says he hopes folks come out to their patios and root for any team.
“Any big sporting event, especially hockey in this city, always brings out our loyal guests, cheering on their team,” he says. “Obviously, we want to root for our Canadian teams, but it brings out our regulars to Earl’s Kitchen and Bar.”
Valaitis says in the past, Edmonton fans very much stood out in the restaurant among staff, customers and partners, but there is a mix of all types of fans in Regina.
To prepare for the summer rush, Earl’s has added new menu items, including fresh sushi dishes and new drinks. While new food items are being added to both restaurants, Copperhead Brewing Co. aims to set itself apart from other businesses by incorporating games into its patio and planning to install turf.
While some customers were still seen preferring to dine in, others have already secured a space outside. Both Valaitis and Brehm are looking forward to taking full advantage of patio season, which will only bring in more customers as the weather continues to warm up.
WATCH: Remembering B.C. hockey legend Ernie 'Punch' McLean.
Hockey fans and organizations across the country are mourning legendary coach Ernie “Punch” McLean, who has died in a crash in northern B.C. at the age of 93.
RCMP say investigators have confirmed McLean was the sole victim in a single-vehicle crash about 30 kilometres south of Dease Lake.
McLean coached 16 seasons in the Western Hockey League with the New Westminster Bruins and Estevan Bruins.
After six seasons in Estevan, McLean and his partner Bill Shinske moved the Bruins from Saskatchewan to B.C., where he navigated the New Westminster Bruins to four straight WHL championships from 1975 to 1978 and two Memorial Cup titles in 1977 and 1978.
He also coached the Estevan Bruins to a WHL title in 1968, which made him the only man to win five WHL titles as a coach.
The Vancouver Canucks are among those who took to social media to honour the coach, citing McLean’s record of four Memorial Cup appearances, two championships and a coach to more than 100 players in the NHL.
The post called him “a presence that can never be replaced.”
“Ernie ‘Punch’ McLean was one of a kind — a legend of the game who gave everything to this province and to the players lucky enough to call him coach,” the Canucks post said.
McLean coached 1,067 WHL games in total and also led Canada to a bronze medal at the 1979 world junior men’s hockey championship.
The Western Hockey League issued its own statement, extending its condolences on behalf of the WHL and its 23 member clubs to friends, family and all those who knew McLean.
The tragic news comes the same week the Ernie Punch McLean Foundation launched a campaign to build a permanent statue honouring McLean at Queens Park Arena in New Westminster.
McLean attended the news conference Wednesday when the campaign launched.
The RCMP said in a news release Friday that officers responded to a call by a local road maintenance worker around 12:15 p.m. on Friday, who reported finding the car down an embankment.
They said the cause of the crash is not yet known but their investigation suggests the man swerved and went off the road, where he was ejected from the vehicle.
Five candidates running to lead the BC Conservative Party are set to meet today for their final leadership debate after a divisive campaign.
Chad Hipolito/ CP
The five candidates running for the leadership of the Opposition B.C. Conservatives face each other today in their final debate, after a campaign dominated by disputes over their ideological credentials.
Iain Black, Caroline Elliott, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Peter Milobar and Yuri Fulmer will share the stage in a Global TV studio in Burnaby, with the debate screening on the network’s Global BC 1 channel and other platforms.
The 90-minute debate that begins at 4:30 p.m. takes place on the day the party starts sending out ballots to more than 42,000 party members, with the winner being declared at a convention on May 30.
The first two debates last month revealed sharp disagreements about issues such as land acknowledgments, diversity polices, education, and what it means to be conservative.
But all five candidates agree they will repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
They also broadly agree on plans to revive the provincial economy through a combination of tax cuts, faster permitting and efficiencies.
Former leader John Rustad resigned on Dec. 4, with Trevor Halford acting as interim leader.
A two-year-old child is dead after being pulled from the Ottawa River during a major search operation Friday evening, police say.
Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais police
A two-year-old child has died after an extensive search and rescue operation near the Kichi Zibi Mikan Parkway on Friday evening, the Ottawa Police Service says.
Police said officers responded shortly before 7 p.m. to reports of a missing child in the area. When emergency crews arrived, the child could not be located.
A large search operation was launched involving neighbourhood officers, the marine dive team, tactical officers and the air support unit, along with assistance from the Gatineau Police Service.
About 40 minutes after the initial call, the child was spotted in the Ottawa River by the police air support unit. First responders brought the child ashore and began life-saving efforts before the child was taken to hospital. Police said the child was later pronounced dead.
Police said the force’s sexual assault and child abuse unit and the homicide unit are investigating, which is standard practice in cases involving the death of a young child.
Support services have been offered to the family and first responders involved, police said. The investigation remains ongoing.
New lab results confirm the safety of Greater Sudbury’s municipal water supply after a boil water advisory was lifted Friday.
Gino Donato/ CP
Additional testing has confirmed the safety of the municipal water supply in parts of Greater Sudbury, Ont., following a boil water advisory earlier this week.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts said Saturday that new test results from Public Health Ontario confirmed the water is safe to drink.
The boil water advisory was lifted Friday. It had been in place since Wednesday for residents in New Sudbury, Sudbury, parts of Garson and Falconbridge.
“The cause of the adverse samples is being investigated, and this boil water advisory is in effect as a precaution,” Burgess Hawkins, a manager in public health’s health protection division, said in the initial notice.
Public health officials said the extra testing was done as part of the investigation and out of caution.
Tamara Polo's life has been seriously limited after being hit by a car and unable to secure funding for spinal surgery.
Tamara Polo
Tamara Polo lived a full and busy life, balancing a successful career with raising three young children. But that all came to halt when she was hit as a pedestrian in a parking lot in September of 2023, seriously injuring her entire spine.
“As soon as I get upright and my spine is loaded with the weather of my head, I’m instantly ill and have to lay back down,” describes Polo. “I’m sitting on the sidelines of my three beautiful children’s and a husband’s life waiting for access to care.”
Polo’s search for medical care has been long and extensive. After exhausting her options in Canada and being told there was nothing that could be done to improve her quality of life, she expanded her search to include international options, going for consultations with neurosurgeons in Spain and the United States.
“I saw three doctors,” says Polo. “All three doctors conclusively said that every vertebra in my neck was damaged.”
Upright imaging available internationally allowed doctors to see the full extent of the damage to Polo’s spine while it was under pressure of her head and gravity and was diagnosed with cervical instability, a condition where there is significant movement between the vertebrae in the neck compromising spinal stability.
A diagnosis is not available in Canada because the vertical imaging technology is not offered north of the border.
Tamara Polo was a busy mom with a successful career before her accident in September 2023.
Tamara Polo
Initially, Polo underwent an occipitocervical fusion (C0-C2) to stabilize the skull and the first cervical vertebrae, crowdsourcing to cover the out of country costs. But she says it became clear shortly after that surgery that her injuries were far more extensive than originally thought. She learned she would need a complete reconstruction with rods and screws from her skull to upper back to stabilize her spine.
“For me to have a chance at being healthy for my children, to me, that is a medical necessity,” says Polo.
Polo applied for funding to cover the operation through the Out of Country Health Services Committee (OOCHSC), a program set up to evaluate applications eligible for insured coverage under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan.
Polo’s application, and appeal, were both denied.
“The reason for denial is because I don’t meet the criteria,” explains Polo. “The criteria requires an in-country diagnosis, but the system itself is unable to produce the diagnosis.”
Tamara Polo spends 20 hours a day in bed and gets extremely ill if she sits up for any length of time.
Tamara Polo
Polo isn’t the only Albertan struggling to access funding through the program.
Samantha Lieskovsky is in the process of appealing an OOCHSC decision denying funding for treatment for her two-year-old daughter Myla’s rare vascular condition. Since sharing her story with Global News, Lieskovsky says she’s been overwhelmed with the number of Canadians reaching out with their own, similar stories.
“They are all around the same themes,” says Lieskovsky. “Barriers, delays, and policies that are not working to help families get care.”
Lieskovsky calls the eligibility criteria for OOCHSC funding restrictive and too limited in its scope, forcing families to take on added responsibilities at an already stressful time.
“(Families) are being forced to become advocates, and fundraisers, and voicing all of this when we should be able to just focus on the medical side of it.”
But experts say the committee is operating within its guidelines, and any changes have to come from the government.
“The members of the committee have the right to consult with specialists, but they are going to stay right in the middle of that lane and swim exactly where they have been told they are going to swim,” says Myles Leslie with the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. “Which means you want to start talking to the people who set up the lanes.”
Leslie says conversations about what is and is not covered through the OOCHSC have to take into account Canada’s universal health care, and the confines of that system. However, Leslie adds it’s important for regulations to be able to adapt, especially when dealing with topics like health care that are rapidly evolving.
“When we start to have the political discussion about expanding the basket of services, the basket of things available to everybody, we’re going to have to make some choices about things that are not available to everybody,” explains Leslie.
The Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services says it “recognizes how difficult these situations are for patients and families, especially when they are facing extremely rare and complex conditions,” adding it takes “these concerns seriously and understands the importance of ensuring Albertans can access the care they need.”
The province says regulation of the out-of-country health services process was established nearly two decades ago.
A statement to Global News reads, in part, “since then, patient needs have grown more complex and medical treatments and technologies have advanced significantly. That is why we have launched a review of the program and are actively assessing whether changes are needed to better meet the needs of Albertans and reflect advancements in care.”
Tamara Polo hopes getting a full cervical fusion will allow her to return to her usual life.
Tamara Polo
But until those changes come, Polo is confined to her bed, missing milestones as her children grow up.
Her only option is to turn to friends and family for help, launching a GoFundMe to raise the money needed to travel to the United States for the life-changing surgery.
“When the criteria is so narrow and so restrictive that it leaves a mother in their bed with three children, it is definitely time for use to have a look at the criteria,” says Polo.
“Canadians do not own my health care, the government owns my health care.”
Hamilton Tiger Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (19) CFL East Final football game action against the Montreal Alouettes, in Hamilton, Ont., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power
GAC
Training camp begins Sunday for the Toronto Argonauts and eight other CFL teams. Here’s a look at the other squads as they begin preparing for the 2026 regular season, which begins June 4 with the Montreal Alouettes visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Montreal — The Alouettes landed backup quarterback Dustin Crum in free agency but released middle linebacker Darnell Sankey and defensive back Dionte Ruffin (both now with B.C.). Davis Alexander is 11-0 in the regular season but made just seven starts last season due to a hamstring ailment. The defence could use another big year from Canadian defensive lineman Issac Adeyemi-Berglund, who registered 11 sacks in 2025.
Ottawa — Ryan Dinwiddie enters his first season as head coach and general manager after leading Toronto to two Grey Cups over five seasons as head coach. The Redblacks were again active in free agency _ with Canadian linebacker A.J. Allen (Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders), American receiver Ayden Eberhardt (B.C. Lions) and Canadian kicker Brett Lauther (free agent) among the newcomers. Dru Brown returns as the starter with veteran Jake Maier added in free agency as insurance.
Hamilton — Veteran Bo Levi Mitchell enters his fourth season with the Ticats and 14th in the CFL. He was named the East Division’s outstanding player the last two years. Canadian Tre Ford, who began last season as Edmonton’s starter, is Mitchell’s backup. Other new faces include linebacker Wynton McManis (Toronto) and receivers Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (Edmonton), Mario Alford (Saskatchewan) and Kearic Wheatfall (Winnipeg), with Alford also a standout returner.
Winnipeg — Canadian running back Brady Oliveira and starter Zach Collaros both return. American Tim White (Hamilton) should bolster a receiving corps that includes veteran Canadian Nic Demski. Ditto for newcomers Jarell Broxton (B.C.) and Jake Ceresna (Edmonton) helping the offensive and defensive lines, respectively. Quarterback Taylor Elgersma, the ’24 Hec Crighton Trophy winner at Laurier, signed in April after spending time in the NFL and UFL.
Saskatchewan — Many familiar faces from last year’s Grey Cup-winning team return but the Riders still have holes to fill with the departure of Alford, Allen, global defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado (Ottawa), American DL Malik Carney (Edmonton), Lauther (released), receivers Dohnte Meyers (NFL, Cincinnati) and Canadian Tommy Nield (Winnipeg). Veteran defensive lineman Micah Johnston retired to become the club’s defensive line coach.
Edmonton — Cody Fajardo, the ’23 Grey Cup MVP, begins the season as the starter after opening 2025 behind Ford. Fajardo finished second in the CFL in completion percentage (73.2 per cent). Running back Josh Rankin will be key figure offensively. Rankins rushed for 1,013 yards (5.3-yard average) and nine TDs in 2025 while adding 56 catches for 713 yards and four touchdowns. However, the Elks finished last overall in offensive points (21.9 per game) and second-last in passing (244 yards per game).
Calgary — The backup spot behind incumbent Vernon Adams Jr. is up for grabs with P.J. Walker’s retirement. Receiver Reggie Begelton is expected to return after missing most of last year with a knee injury. That’s good news for a receiving corps that will be without Dominique Rhymes (retired) and Canadian Damien Alford (NFL’s New Orleans Saints). Calgary’s defence also has some holes to fill with the departures of defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings and linebacker Jacob Roberts (both with NFL’s Minnesota Vikings).
B.C. — The arrival of Darnell Sankey should add a tough, physical presence in the middle. Ayden Eberhardt (Ottawa) is gone but quarterback Nathan Rourke — CFL’s top Canadian and outstanding player last year — still has plenty of weapons at his disposal. Veteran Keon Hatcher Sr. anchors a receiving corps that also include Stanley Berryhill III and Canadians Justin McInnis and Jevon Cottoy. And then there’s running back James Butler (third in CFL rushing with 1,213 yards). But the loss of offensive lineman Broxton to Winnipeg will hurt up front.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2026.
WATCH: Prime Minister Mark Carney laid out a broad vision for Canada’s future at the Global Progress Action Summit in Toronto, focusing on housing, trade, artificial intelligence (AI) and economic sovereignty. Carney said Canada must “build again” by investing in affordable housing, reducing reliance on the United States, and expanding strategic industries amid ongoing tariff pressures. He also defended government spending cuts and promised a forthcoming national AI strategy focused on “safe and sovereign” technology that would benefit Canadians.
Political leaders and policy experts from around the world gathered in Toronto on Saturday for the 2026 Global Progress Action Summit.
The summit, co-hosted by Canada 2020 and the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF), is a day-long event focused on economic security, democracy and global co-operation, according to a release by the CAPAF.
It featured Prime Minister Mark Carney alongside several federal cabinet ministers, including Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
Former U.S. president Barack Obama was also in attendance.
Joly started off the summit Saturday morning, hosting a discussion with former U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg on rebuilding trust through economic security.
During the discussion, Joly spoke about the global impact of U.S. policies.
“What is going on in the U.S. doesn’t stay in the U.S.,” she said. “It has an impact across the world.”
“If the U.S. democracy is not working well, it has an impact on all democracies,” she added.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand developed the idea during a panel on the ever-changing Canada-U.S. relations.
“Canadians and Americans on both sides of the border want to see our countries grow together for decades and decades to come,” Anand said.
“Trade diversification is a means of de-risking in this moment where there is a complete breakdown of the global trading order,” she said.
Speaking later in the day, Carney addressed Canada’s economic relationship with the United States amid ongoing tariffs on sectors including steel, aluminum and autos.
“We still have the best trade deal with the United States,” Carney said. “Over 85 per cent of our goods move tariff-free across the border.”
He said Canada remains open to “deeper integration” with the U.S., including what he described as a possible “Fortress North America” approach in select sectors.
However, Carney said Canada is also prepared to expand elsewhere if deeper integration is not possible.
“If that route is not ultimately possible, we will invest heavily in new markets and products,” he said. “We will reward those who build, buy and produce in Canada.”
Carney also spoke about artificial intelligence and Canada’s upcoming AI strategy, saying Canadians want technology that is “safe and sovereign” and creates economic opportunities while strengthening public services.
In closing remarks, Carney called for bold economic action amid global uncertainty.
“We have to take risks again,” he said. “Because in a crisis, fortune favors the bold.”
U.S. President Donald Trump did not attend the summit.
Other sessions throughout the day focused on foreign affairs, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and democratic institutions, according to the organizers.
Meanwhile, some supporters are saying the summit highlights international collaboration on shared economic and political challenges.
A Frontier Airlines plane struck and killed a pedestrian on a Denver airport runway, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.
Canadian Press
A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a person walking on a runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.
The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday,” the airport’s official X account wrote.
A spokesperson for the airport said the victim, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.
“We’re stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”
The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that and “individual was walking across the runway.”
The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now” before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”
Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the person on the runway.
“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”
Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.
Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.
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