Lawyers representing Google and an environmental coalition are set to question Hydro-Québec consultants today as the first part of a hearing on data centres wraps.

Quebec’s energy regulator, the Régie de l’énergie, will also question the experts as part of the public hearing on proposed rate hikes for data centres.

Hydro-Québec is asking the regulator to consider a new electricity rate for data centres that require a capacity of over five megawatts.

The new rate would raise energy prices to an average of 13 cents per kilowatt hour, which the utility says is around twice as much as what data centres pay as large-power customers.

On Thursday, two consultants hired by Hydro-Québec say they expect the demand from data centres to more than double between 2024 and 2030 — mostly because of the growing AI industry.

The hearing is scheduled to continue in December, when industry actors will present their own perspectives on the proposed rates.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

When was rock’n’roll born? That’s hard to pin down. It’s not like the world woke up one day and, all of a sudden, there was this brand-new genre of music that had emerged fully formed.

Rock’n’roll took years to come together in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was an amalgamation of blues, rhythm & blues, country, western—yes, those were two separate genres—hillbilly music, and a few other things.

A new audience of post-war kids needed to come of age. Radio had to switch from carrying network shows out of New York to locally hosted DJ programs playing music. We needed the transistor radio. We needed the 45 RPM record.

And we needed a couple of “black swan” performers who were in the right place at the right time, with the right look, the right songs, and the right sound. Heck, it took years for the phrase “rock’n’roll” to catch on, thanks to DJ Alan Freed, who started using it on the radio around 1951.

So there is not a single song that we can point to and say, “This is where rock started.” We can’t even say it happened in a specific year. We can just narrow it down to a period as wide as 1947 to 1955. So, yeah, it took a long time for this rough beast to be born.

But alt-rock? …That might be a different thing altogether. And while there was always a weirdo, outsider component on the fringes of rock—if we’re being pedantic about it, we can identify proto-alt-rock elements from as far back as the late 1950s—there was one year when everything suddenly and explosively came together. In fact, it took just a few short months.

That year was 1976. It is generally accepted as Year Zero for punk, the time of the Big Bang that led to a deluge of left-of-centre music that branched off at a right angle from all the rock that had come before. And as such, 1976 can also be extrapolated as Year Zero for everything we call “alternative rock” today.

Let’s look at what happened during those crucial, pivotal months. Because, after all, if it hadn’t happened, you’d be listening to something else right now.

Songs heard on this show:

• The Alarm, The Spirit of ’76
• Tuff, All for the Love of Rock’n’Roll
• Patti Smith, Pumping (My Heart)
• Talking Heads, Psycho Killer
• Blondie, X-Offender
• Lou Reed, Rock’n’Roll Heart
• Jonathan Richman, Roadrunner
• David Bowie, Golden Years

Here’s Eric Wilhite’s playlist.

The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations:

• 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
• Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
• Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm
• 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
• FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
• Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
• 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
• The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 9am and 9pm
• The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• The Goat Network/Interior BC
• WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

 

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Canada lost 68,000 jobs in September, Statistics Canada said on Friday, marking a slight decline of 0.3 per cent.

This marks a second month of declining jobs after roughly 42,000 jobs were lost in August.

The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 6.5 per cent from 6.4 per cent, the data showed.

The losses were split fairly evenly between full-time work (35,000) and part-time work (33,000).

Job losses were concentrated among younger people, with youth aged 15 to 24 losing 48,000 jobs in September, as well as women aged 25 to 54, who lost 28,000 jobs.

The youth unemployment rate was little changed at 13 per cent.

The education sector lost 35,000 jobs, while health and social assistance industry lost 23,000 jobs. Canada also lost 13,000 manufacturing jobs.

The August job losses snapped a hot streak for the labour market, but economists weren’t overly concerned and instead pointed to the relatively stable unemployment rate as a sign the labour market wasn’t taking a major step back.

Friday’s jobs data is the Bank of Canada’s last look at the labour market before its next interest rate decision on Oct. 28.

The central bank has kept its key lending rate unchanged at 2.25 per cent for about a year, but market expectations have been shifting lately, with slightly higher odds we’ll see a hike coming sooner rather than later.

–With files from Canadian Press

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

The biggest songs. The hottest stars. The stories behind the songs.

Every week, American Country Countdown with Ryan Fox counts down the Top 30 songs in Country music, featuring exclusive artist interviews, songwriter insights, and the latest news from Nashville.

Catch American Country Countdown with Ryan Fox every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon on CISN Country 103.9 Edmonton and Country 105 Calgary.

Kenny Chesney is back at No. 1. “Carry On” tops the Billboard Country Airplay chart this week, giving Chesney his record-extending 34th No. 1 on the chart.

“But what really matters is that it’s connecting with people who hear their lives in my music. It’s an honor and privilege.”

“Carry On” has become a milestone song for Kenny Chesney. When it debuted in May, it marked his 100th entry on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. In July, it became his record-breaking 62nd Top 10 hit, moving him ahead of Tim McGraw and George Strait for the most Top 10s since the chart began in 1990.

“That’s the great thing about songs: they hold life like nothing else.”

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Kenny Chesney spent nearly three years putting together Silver Sands Marina, and the album is off to an impressive start. His 21st studio release debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, his 13th time reaching the top. It also enters Top Country Albums at No. 3 and the Billboard 200 at No. 7. The 11-song collection marks his first album with Hey Now Records.

“This album was built with human emotions that make us feel alive. Cheers to new music.”

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Kenny Chesney wasn’t the first artist to record “Carry On.” Country duo Pryor & Lee released the song in 2021, five years before Chesney recorded his version. Written by Jessi Alexander, Matt Jenkins and Chase McGill, the song tells the story of a Key West bartender whose simple philosophy is to enjoy what makes you happy and let go of what doesn’t.

“Sometimes the best medicine is just turning up the music, turning to the person next to you and singing out loud. Happy, mad, sad, it doesn’t really matter: music makes most things better.”

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For the “Carry On” music video, Kenny Chesney returned to Key West, Florida, a place whose character and laid-back spirit were first introduced to him by Jimmy Buffett. Working with longtime director Shaun Silva, Chesney filmed around the island’s neighbourhoods, waterfront and the legendary Schooner Wharf bar. The video also features local artist and sailor David Wegman, whom Kenny wrote about in his memoir, Heart Life Music. “Key West isn’t about who you are, but what’s in your soul,” Chesney says.

 

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

OTTAWA – Carter Yakemchuk isn’t known for showing a lot of emotion but the Ottawa Senators defenceman had plenty to celebrate on Thursday night.

He fired a heavy one-timer through traffic for the power-play game-winner in the Senators’ 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

“I was just trying to get one through from the point,” Yakemchuk said. “(Claude Giroux) made a nice pass and I just whacked one and lucky it went in.”

Yakemchuk, 21, is looking to become a lineup regular and knows he needs to prove to head coach Travis Green that he’s ready.

Green was happy to see Yakemchuk get the goal but admitted he hadn’t been thrilled with his overall game.

“He fumbled the puck a few times on the power play,” Green said. “Probably wasn’t quite at his best but sometimes you’ve just got to stick with those guys a little bit and they’re going to have some nights where they’re going really good and they’re going to have some nights when they’re not great.”

Despite the struggles, Ottawa’s coaching staff continued to put Yakemchuk out there and Green credited coach assistant coach Ben Sexton for sticking with him.

“Good players find ways to come up with key moments in a game, and he definitely did,” Green said.

The Senators are hopeful Yakemchuk will gain confidence with each game he plays. With Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub still dealing with injuries, Ottawa needs its depth players to step up.

Yakemchuk played four regular-season games and one playoff game last season.

“He looks a little more comfortable, he’s gotten a little better,” admitted Green. “He’s worked hard over the summer. He’s still young. He’s still going to have nights where he might not be at his best.

“That’s just a young guy trying to make the league.”

Yakemchuk wasn’t the only one wanting to make a good impression.

Hoyt Stanley made his NHL debut Thursday after getting the call-up from AHL Belleville.

“I felt good, obviously pretty nervous,” Stanley said. “Like the first two shifts, the coaches kind of came up to me and said, ‘Play your game, play hard, simple, don’t be too nervous.’ Easier said than done.”

The injury woes continued for the Senators. Already missing Sanderson, Zub and Andre Burakovsky, Ottawa could now be adding William Eklund to the list.

Eklund left the game early in the first period after taking a hit from Flyers defenceman Simon Benoit. Eklund needed assistance to leave the ice and was unable to put weight on his left leg.

Green did not have an update on Eklund’s status following the game.

The Senators have high expectations for the left-winger, who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks during the off-season. He started the game on the top line alongside Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson.

Ottawa is back in action Saturday when it hosts the Nashville Predators.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

This story discusses sexual assault. Discretion is advised.

A Quebec Superior Court judge has authorized a class-action lawsuit alleging a longstanding pattern of sexual assault and misconduct at a popular spa in western Quebec.

In a decision issued Oct. 2, Justice Enrico Forlini authorized the lawsuit against Nordik Spa Nature in Chelsea, Que., to proceed.

Court documents show 143 people joined the proposed class action between Aug. 13, 2025, and July 3, 2026. The allegations involve at least 36 massage therapists and span incidents alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2026.

The lawsuit alleges the spa failed to adequately prevent sexual assault and misconduct by massage therapists, describing the issue as systemic rather than the result of isolated incidents.

Philippe Brault, a lawyer with Lambert Avocats representing the plaintiffs, said the number of people who have joined the class action reinforces that claim.

“The number is troubling, but we were suspecting a systemic issue at the spa, and that’s why our client decided to institute a class action proceeding rather than a simple individual lawsuit,” Brault told Global News Thursday.

“We expect more people to come forward, especially with all of the stories in the media coming out since the authorization of the class action last week.”

While declining to discuss the circumstances of individual complainants, Brault said many of the allegations share common elements, including claims of voyeurism and inappropriate touching of intimate body parts during massage treatments.

The lawsuit also alleges some complainants who reported sexual misconduct to the spa were offered gift cards. Brault said several class members have made that allegation.

Brault argued proper safeguards could have prevented many of the incidents described in the claim.

“It’s a case of institutional negligence, so the actions that should have been made in order to prevent these types of events from taking place were not made,” he said.

The proposed class action names allegations involving at least 36 massage therapists. Brault called the figure “a crazy statistic,” arguing it underscores the plaintiffs’ claim that the spa failed to address what they describe as a systemic problem.

He said the lawsuit seeks compensation for victims, punitive damages aimed at deterring similar conduct and an acknowledgment of responsibility from the spa.

The case was launched by a woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by a male massage therapist during a treatment at the spa in December 2024. The woman, who has not been publicly identified, filed the lawsuit in August 2025.

According to court documents, she visited the spa with a friend and alleges the assault occurred while she was receiving a massage alone. The filing alleges the therapist did not explain which parts of her body would be treated, did not provide her with the option of remaining partially clothed and at one point placed a towel over her face, obstructing her view for the remainder of the session.

The woman alleges she was then inappropriately touched and froze during the encounter, unable to react or speak because she was in shock.

“I didn’t know what was happening,” she told Global News in an interview in August 2025.

She later reported the incident to police.

Brault said the lawsuit has also sparked discussion about creating a professional order for massage therapists in Quebec. He said public attention generated by the case has renewed calls for stricter oversight of the profession as a way to prevent future misconduct.

Support is available for people who have been sexually assaulted or abused. You can access crisis lines and local support services. Visit the Department of Justice’s Victim Services Directory for a list of resources in your area. 

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

A Montreal couple is preparing to take on the Montreal Marathon together this weekend, years after an ALS diagnosis dramatically changed their lives.

Spencer Levine will run the 42.2-kilometre course while pushing his wife, Amanda Tam, in a specially adapted wheelchair.

The idea came last spring, when Tam went to cheer on Levine at an Ironman competition and the couple saw another person with a disability participating with assistance.

“We actually saw a (person with a disability) being pushed and they were attached to the bike, they were on a kayak for the swimming portion and Spencer thought it would be a cool idea to do the same,” Tam told Global News on Thursday.

The high school sweethearts, who married in 2024, bought a specialized running wheelchair in June and have since trained more than 600 kilometres for the Montreal Marathon.

“We have trained all throughout the summer from June until now,” Levine said. “We’ve run 623 kilometres as of today.”

Tam, a McGill University graduate, was 20 years old when she was diagnosed with ALS.

Dr. Angela Genge, clinical research program director at the McGill Neurological Institute, described Tam as remarkably upbeat.

“She is one of these kids that in another circumstance would have flown,” Genge said.

The neurodegenerative disease has taken away much of Tam’s autonomy, leaving her reliant on Levine, who is also her primary caregiver.

Claudine Cook, executive director of the Quebec ALS Society, said the couple have become “incredible ambassadors.”

“Having a care partner like Spencer along her side is just … they’ve been really incredible ambassadors,” Cook said.

The couple has been determined to share their experiences, and their marathon effort is also raising money for ALS Quebec.

“Just because I was dealt an unlucky hand or the fact that I have a death sentence, I mean, it doesn’t mean that you have to stop living,” Tam said.

Training for the marathon has also given the couple more time together.

“As someone who trains 10 to 15 hours a week, having those extra six to 10 hours a week with her is just so meaningful and has made us grow so much closer as a couple,” Levine said.

But even getting to the starting line at Parc Jean-Drapeau could pose a challenge, with Berri-UQAM Metro station not fully accessible.

“I love the fact that we have this huge marathon, but if you have a wheelchair category … make it at least accessible to get to,” Tam said.

With 20,000 people expected at the starting line, the couple also wants to avoid traffic.

Tam said she uses social media in part to draw attention to accessibility issues in Montreal while encouraging others to continue living their lives despite difficult circumstances.

“That is also why I have social media, to bring awareness to, I guess, accessibility around the city and to also to keep living life no matter what,” she said.

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

Follow along with Susan Hay and executive chef Paul Shewchuck from the Fairmont Royal York, as he prepares two delicious recipes just in time for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Recipe 1: Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Black Truffle 

• Olive oil – 2 bottles
• Brussels sprouts – 6 lbs
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Salt & pepper
• Butter – 2 tbsp
• Parmigiano Reggiano – 2 x 6-inch pieces
• Black truffle – 2
• Good-quality olive oil – 2 bottles

Instructions:

Prepare the Brussels sprouts:

Trim the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise.

Caramelize:

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the Brussels sprouts cut-side down in the hot oil. Cook until deeply caramelized and golden brown.

Finish cooking:

Flip the Brussels sprouts and cook for another 1–2 minutes.

Deglaze:

Add the white wine and butter to the pan. Season with salt and black pepper. Continue cooking until the liquid reduces and the Brussels sprouts are beautifully glazed.

Plate:

Layer the glazed Brussels sprouts in a serving dish.

Garnish:

Finish with freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano and finely grated black truffle using a Microplane.

 

Recipe 2: Butternut Squash and Roasted Pear Bisque

Mirepoix & Soup Base

• Yellow onion – 2
• Carrots – 2
• Celery – 2 stalks
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Olive oil – 4 tbsp
• Butter – 2 tbsp

Roasted Squash & Pears

• Butternut squash – 2 medium
• Pears – 4
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Liquid & Seasoning

• Vegetable stock – 8 cups
• Ground cinnamon – 1 tsp
• Ground nutmeg – ½ tsp
• Fresh thyme – 1 tsp
• Heavy cream – 1 cup
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Maple syrup – 2 tbsp
• Pumpkin seeds – enough for garnish

Instructions

1. Roast the Squash and Pears

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Place the butternut squash and pears on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 25–30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender and caramelized around the edges.

2. Prepare the Mirepoix

While the squash and pears are roasting, heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Season lightly with salt and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.

3. Add the Aromatics

Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and thyme. Cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

4. Add the Roasted Squash and Pears

Add the roasted squash and pears to the pot. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cook for 10–15 minutes, allowing the roasted vegetables and mirepoix to fully meld.

5. Blend Until Smooth

Carefully blend the soup using an immersion blender or countertop blender until completely smooth.

For an especially refined bisque, pass the soup through a fine-mesh strainer after blending.

6. Finish the Bisque

Return the soup to low heat and stir in the heavy cream.

Add maple syrup to taste, then adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and additional nutmeg as desired.

If the bisque is too thick, add a little additional vegetable stock until you reach the desired consistency.

7. Serve

Ladle the bisque into warm bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. Serves four to six people.

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

Smoke rising over the grasslands west of Osoyoos this week is part of a carefully planned burn aimed at doing more than reducing wildfire risk.

The multi-day burn in the Nighthawk Road area is also helping revive Indigenous cultural fire practices that were suppressed for generations.

The Lower Similkameen Indian Band is working with partners, including the B.C. Wildfire Service, on the approximately 160-hectare burn.

Julia Peterson, a councillor with the Lower Similkameen Indian Band, says the project is about bringing traditional knowledge back together with modern wildfire management.

“It was abolished, you know, by previous law, and so we’re really trying to bring those practices back, and combine these together with Western science,” Peterson said.

For Peterson, the work is also deeply connected to ceremony and the relationship between the land and the community.

“Ceremony connects us to land, it connects us to the animals, to the water,” she said. “This is bringing this ceremonial practice back into our community.”

The controlled fire is also intended to improve the health of the grasslands by clearing overgrowth, encouraging native grasses and improving habitat for wildlife.

Daryl Gibb, who owns the Nighthawk RV Park near the burn area, has seen how quickly wildfire can threaten the region.

“At the bottom of the hill there was a lot of sagebrush that choked out the grass,” Gibb said. “Getting rid of that sagebrush will definitely bring the grass back again.”

Gibb also hopes the work will help reduce the risk to nearby communities and properties.

“About six or eight years ago, there was a big fire burning in the Cascades just across the river from us,” he said. “And then there’s been little local ones close.”

The project is also an example of First Nations and government agencies working together on wildfire preparedness.

Justin Smith, with Lower Similkameen Indian Band Emergency Management, says wildfire does not respect the boundaries between jurisdictions.

“Everybody’s in the same boat,” Smith said. “The fire doesn’t recognize the boundary. The fire doesn’t even recognize the border. It just goes where it wants to go.”

That makes cooperation particularly important as communities across the region work to reduce wildfire fuels and prepare for increasingly severe fire seasons.

Peterson says the Nighthawk Road burn is only part of a larger need for treatment across the region.

“We still have many other areas that need this kind of treatment to bring safety to the communities, both on and off reserve,” she said.

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

Two consultants hired by Hydro-Québec say they expect the demand from data centres to more than double between 2024 and 2030 — mostly because of the growing AI industry.

The analysts from energy and climate consulting firm Dunsky delivered the message at a public hearing reviewing Hydro-Québec’s proposal to hike rates charged to data centres.

Quebec’s energy regulator, the Régie de l’énergie, is reviewing the potential rate hike.

Hydro-Québec gave Dunsky a mandate to compare the utility’s proposal with how other North American jurisdictions have reacted to the surge in energy demand from data centres.

Alexis Renaud-Bezot, one of the analysts, said energy consumption from data centres in North America could increase by 133 per cent between 2024 and 2030.

“We are facing growth in our energy demands that is much more significant than what we saw over the past two decades. A large part of that growth is tied to data centres,” he said.

He added that data centres used to train AI models vary in size from 20 megawatts to many thousand megawatts.

The proposed Hydro-Québec changes would increase rates for data centres of five megawatts or larger to an average of 13 cents per kilowatt hour. Data centres currently pay an average of 6.82 cents per kilowatt hour, according to Hydro-Québec’s calculations.

With the average cost of energy production at around 12 cents per kilowatt hour and increasing, Hydro-Québec said early in the hearing it wants to ensure it does not keep selling energy to data centres at a discount that will leave other customers footing the bill.

Hydro-Québec has said data centres that would be subject to the new rate currently consume 190 MW at peak consumption and could reach 1,000 MW by 2035.

According to the firm’s analysis, even with the increased rate, Hydro-Québec’s energy would remain cheaper for data centres than in most neighbouring jurisdictions — but not all.

Data centres would find cheaper energy alternatives in Ontario and New Brunswick, as well as in some parts of the United States.

Renaud-Bezot said dozens of new energy rates have been created in North America to target data centres.

“What goal is behind the creation of these rates?” he asked. “The primary goal is to minimize or avoid impacting the rates for other consumers.”

He also highlighted growing social concerns around the effects of data centres on energy costs, local resources and the environment.

“That social opposition, we haven’t seen it as much for now in Quebec, but it’s coming,” said Renaud-Bezot.

Lawyers representing industry actors who oppose the proposal questioned the consultants on the relevance of their comparisons between the energy market in Quebec and elsewhere in North America, noting how Hydro-Québec has a monopoly as a supplier of electricity.

“Evidently, in Quebec, we don’t have a choice” when it comes to energy providers, said Marie-Pierre Boudreau, who represents a data centre coalition.

Hydro-Québec is also proposing an increase to energy rates for cryptocurrency mining and trading projects to an average of 19.5 cents per kilowatt hour.

The first part of the hearing is set to finish on Friday. Representatives from Google and a coalition of environmental groups are among those scheduled to present their own perspective on the proposed rate increase in December.

© 2026 The Canadian Press