CALGARY - An emotional Premier Danielle Smith held back tears Saturday as she recounted a long list of historic indignities Albertans have suffered at the hands of the federal government. Smith was the opening speaker at a virtual assembly discussing Alberta's future in Canada, an event co-hosted by former Opposition leader and conservative elder statesman Preston Manning and former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell. The Alberta premier has called a referendum for Oct. 19 that includes a question [Read more]

Shale gas became an issue on the campaign trail Saturday as Coalition Avenir Québec leader Christine Fréchette claimed more Quebecers are warming up to fracking amid trade tensions with the United States.  Fracking has been raised during the Quebec election campaign, especially with the Quebec Conservatives pushing fossil fuels to boost the economy.  Fréchette was reacting to a report by La Presse that, citing its own survey, showed Quebecers are still heavily divided on the [Read more]

EDMONTON - Albertans head to the polls Oct. 19 to vote on whether there should be a future, binding referendum on the province separating from Canada. Strains of western alienation go back decades. Here's a look at some key events: 1980 — The federal government ignites widespread alienation in Alberta with the National Energy Program, which keeps domestic oil prices below world levels to promote Canadian energy security and increase the federal share of oil revenues. Alberta views it as an [Read more]

CALGARY - Canada has the potential to bolster Europe's energy security through a new alliance, but experts say it doesn't necessarily mean tankers crossing the Atlantic Ocean laden with oil or liquefied natural gas. Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Strasbourg, France, this week where he and European Union leadership discussed strengthening ties on several fronts amid strained relations with the United States. Werner Antweiler, an economist at the University of British Columbia, says [Read more]

OTTAWA - Traders are increasingly betting that the Bank of Canada could end its string of interest rate holds and deliver a hike as early as next month. While many economists remain unconvinced that the central bank will raise the cost of borrowing this year, concerns that inflation could become a more persistent thorn than first thought have some pencilling in a tightening cycle to start in early 2027. The U.S. Federal Reserve broke its own stand-pat stance and delivered the United [Read more]

The federal government is expanding a tax incentive to cover a broader array of assets as it aims to drive $1 trillion of new investment in a move roundly applauded by business groups. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the "productivity mega deduction" during the Canada Investment Summit underway in Toronto. It builds on a measure introduced in budget 2025. In a speech to the summit Tuesday, Carney said the move will help make Canada "by far the most tax-competitive advanced economy for [Read more]

VICTORIA - The British Columbia deficit forecast has grown by $450 million to a record-setting $13.8 billion, largely because of a "calculation error" on natural gas royalties, in a situation one critic describes as a state of "fiscal crisis."  Finance Minister Josie Osborne, who just took over the finance portfolio last month, released the first quarterly report Monday that shows almost $800 million more in revenue, but spending is also up. The added revenue comes from income and sales [Read more]

CLIVE - A village in central Alberta is on track to house the country’s largest carbon capture project. Enhance Energy Inc., a carbon management company, says it has broken ground on its Origins project in Clive, Alta., about 140 kilometres south of Edmonton. Operations are slated to begin in January. The Origins carbon capture and storage hub is to initially have capacity to permanently store up to 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Enhance Energy already operates [Read more]