Provincial and Territorial Update for the end of August, 2026
An overview on Provincial and Territorial updates for the end of August, 2026. Written by Wes McLean.
New Brunswick
- A gas-and-diesel power plant proposed for rural Tantramar has been approved by the New Brunswick Environment Department, with conditions attached. Gilles LePage, the environment and climate change minister, announced the decision on Friday. LePage said he relied on the expertise and advice of a technical review committee composed of members from federal, provincial, and local bodies before making his decision.
- New Brunswick’s already large budget deficit is ballooning even more. The province’s first-quarter fiscal update is projecting a shortfall this year of almost $1.7 billion dollars — $265 million higher than what March’s budget was forecasting. That will boost the province’s total accumulated debt to $16.1 billion by the end of the 2026-27 fiscal year, above the $15.9 billion originally projected by Finance Minister René Legacy in March. The debt-to-gross domestic product ratio, a measure of the debt relative to economic output, is increasing from the expected 30.8 per cent to 31.3 per cent.
- The Holt government has announced the first steps toward lifting a 12-year moratorium on shale gas development in New Brunswick. Premier Susan Holt says the province will launch a five-month review of whether the five conditions for lifting that ban “still reflect today’s science, technology, market and regulatory best practices.” Holt told a news conference Wednesday that economic pressure, including from U.S. tariffs, requires “being willing to ask difficult questions.” “This is, in fact, the start of a conversation,” the premier said.
- Premier Susan Holt made it clear that plans for an explosives factory in northern New Brunswick are not finalized, but local mayors are excited about the economic prospects. The company Nalagx has been offered a 1,500-acre parcel of Crown land on the outskirts of the municipalities of Belledune and Heron Bay for potential lease. Belledune Mayor Mario LaPointe said Nalagx briefed municipal officials about their plans two months ago, which became public this week. The land identified for the plant lies outside Belledune’s municipal boundaries and within the Restigouche Rural District, so it wouldn’t add to Belledune’s tax base. LaPointe said he wants to have a public consultation process to hear how residents feel about the project.
Nova Scotia
- As concerns rise over the impact of Nova Scotia homeless shelters on community safety, the provincial minister responsible for the department that funds them says shelter employees are doing the best they can. “We couldn’t expect a standalone charity or nonprofit service to provide everything,” said Opportunities and Social Development Minister Susan Corkum-Greek in an interview Wednesday. Last week, New Glasgow town council voted unanimously in support of a motion that called on the province to close Northstar Shelter and Support Services, the municipality’s only shelter.
- The Nova Scotia SPCA has taken over provincial farm animal welfare enforcement, expanding its role to handle cruelty complaints and co-ordinate medical care for seized livestock, including horses. Responsibility for farm animal welfare previously moved to the Department of Environment and Climate Change before returning to the Department of Agriculture in 2023. Sarah Lyon, chief communications officer for the SPCA, said inspectors began joint training and ride-alongs with the department in April while reaching out to local agricultural groups. The team consists of existing companion animal inspectors trained to national livestock care standards. They began leading cases in July.
- In the face of a court ruling that said the Nova Scotia government cannot deny enhanced income support to people living in tents, the province has changed regulations governing income assistance to make clear that the legislation does not consider a tent a home. A human rights lawyer says the move amounts to the government being content with people living in deep poverty, while the cabinet minister responsible says they’re bringing clarity to the legislation to reflect its intent.
- Nova Scotia Liberal leadership candidate Amanda Mombourquette says she is committed to party renewal if she takes the helm. Speaking to a crowd of about 60 people at an event in Dartmouth on Tuesday night, Mombourquette said that work would begin with implementing the recommendations of a report that called for the complete overhaul of the party organization following the 2021 provincial election.
Prince Edward Island
- There are new rules around potato exports from Prince Edward Island to the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said it made the changes in response to the detection of potato wart fungus in a soil sample from a P.E.I. farm in May. The sample was taken as part of annual testing of Island potato fields. The new rules, which take effect Oct. 5, will affect U.S. facilities that import bulk shipments of potatoes from P.E.I. for processing, packaging and repackaging.
- Some fraud victims on Prince Edward Island are being targeted again by scammers who are sending taxis to their homes in an effort to squeeze more money out of them, police say. Cpl. Gavin Moore, media relations officer for P.E.I. RCMP, said police have received three reports in their jurisdiction over the past few months about this tactic being used. In these cases, the people contacted by the scammers had already lost money in a previous fraud. Later, a taxi sent by the fraudsters arrived at their home, with the driver believing they were simply taking a passenger to the bank or to a store to buy gift cards, Moore said.
- The Prince Edward Island government is rolling out $12.5 million in financial support for businesses facing pressure from newly imposed U.S. tariffs. Premier Rob Lantz said the breakdown of Canada-U.S. trade talks and the 50 per cent tariffs slapped on billions of dollars in Canadian exports have pushed the province into an uncertain trading environment that it had been bracing for over the past 18 months. “Canada did not choose this trade war, but we can choose how we respond to it,” Lantz said during a news conference Friday.
- Tayte Willows was officially sworn in as the member of the P.E.I. Legislative Assembly for District 16, Cornwall-Meadowbank, on Wednesday. “It’s very surreal. It’s very exciting to be here and be a part of this and … have this kind of final step into the official role is really exciting,” she said following the swearing-in ceremony. Willows secured the seat for the P.E.I. Green Party in a July 13 byelection, receiving nearly 40 per cent and besting then-Liberal Party leader Robert Mitchell. Progressive Conservative candidate Caley McDonald placed third in the byelection, followed by the NDP’s Craig Nash.
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Rio Tinto and the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) have completed a “staff role reduction” as it continues to navigate financial uncertainty and reshape its business in Labrador West — but the company says no immediate layoffs are coming. In an emailed statement to CBC News on Thursday, a Rio Tinto spokesperson said a comprehensive business review was completed based on “ongoing operating and cost pressures” — as well as the health of the current mine and other assets.
- Memorial University of Newfoundland has brought the axe down on 107 positions, in what university leadership is describing as a necessary step in the ongoing effort to make the university financially viable in the long term. “The last year, the last years, have been difficult but necessary,” MUN president Janet Morrison told CBC News. In an earlier statement, Morrison had said the latest losses are hard, because they involve people who have contributed meaningfully to the university. However, she isn’t backing away from the claim that the changes were required.
- Ottawa, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and NordSpace have announced a joint $10-million investment in the company’s plans to build a commercial spaceport on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula. The Ontario-based aerospace firm’s Atlantic Spaceport Complex will be located in St. Lawrence, and according to NordSpace’s website, it is aiming to be Canada’s first operational orbital spaceport.
- A justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador has partially certified a class-action lawsuit brought by the Innu Nation, clearing the way for claims related to the history of Innu day schools in Labrador. Justice Peter Browne ruled claims can proceed on a number of grounds — including those aimed at the provincial government over allegations of physical and sexual abuse suffered by students at the schools. Other claims — including those alleging systemic negligence by the federal government and those related to the loss of language and culture — cannot proceed at this stage, but class members were given the opportunity to amend their pleadings.
Quebec
- A day after the official launch of the election campaign, a new poll shows the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Leader and outgoing Premier Christine Fréchette’s popularity among voters is reversing the party’s fortunes. According a voter intention survey by Synopsis-La Presse released Friday, Parti Québécois (PQ) continues its frontrunner status to form the next government with the support of 28 per cent of Quebecers. However, the CAQ is in a statistical tie with 27 per cent of voters throwing their support — an increase of seven percentage points compared to a previous poll by the same pollster.
- Quebec governing party leader Christine Fréchette labeled President Trump as a “real adversary” as she launched her election campaign Thursday, citing the escalating trade war between the U.S. and Canada. “My opponent is named Donald Trump,” said Fréchette, who leads the right-leaning Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ). “He’s the real adversary.” Fréchette took over the CAQ in April after former Quebec Premier François Legault stepped down, putting her at the helm of a party that has governed the province for the past eight years. The October election will be her first test with voters as party leader.
- Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) Leader Charles Milliard was forced to withdraw another of his candidates on the first day of the election campaign, Thursday. Étienne Pineau Saindon, who was running for office in Rimouski, will no longer be a Liberal candidate due to “allegations of a personal nature” that the leader considers “serious.” “I was made aware of troubling information regarding one of our candidates in the Rimouski riding. So late last night, I made the decision to withdraw the candidate,” the Liberal leader explained during a press briefing in Quebec City. Milliard did not provide further details on the matter. Behind the scenes, sources indicate that the candidate allegedly engaged in “unacceptable behavior.”
- Quebec’s five major parties continued making promises Saturday as the election campaign entered its third day, with the general election scheduled for Oct. 5. Key details:
- Conservatives promise to lower prices at the pump
- Liberals promise to help businesses by imposing a moratorium
- Christine Fréchette appeals to hesitant separatists
- CAQ announces more funding for home care
- Québec Solidaire wants to invest in public transit networks
- Parti Québécois pledges to cut temporary immigration by more than half
Ontario
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to increase tariffs on cars and trucks next year, saying he can “kiss my ass.” Trump responded later in the day, saying it was “lots of bluster” from Ford, adding he is “better known as the less charismatic, intelligent and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford.” The U.S.-Canada trade dispute turned into a war of words between Ford and Trump on Monday, after Trump said in a Truth Social post that he would increase tariffs on “all Cars, Trucks, both large and small, Automotive Parts, and Steel” to 50 per cent on New Year’s Day.
- Just days after a heated war of words with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Ontario board chairs to shift away from American businesses. It comes as a new survey reports a rise in ratings for Ford and his Progressive Conservatives this month. In a memorandum letter addressed to the chairpersons and posted on social media platform X Wednesday morning, Ford reminded them of the responsibility to support local businesses and the province’s Buy Ontario policies due to “unjustified tariff increases.”
- The association representing career colleges in Ontario began warning the government about possible “suspicious” student financial aid activity at a few campuses three years ago, according to documents. Career Colleges Ontario also asked the government to refer certain related concerns to the police, though the details of those concerns and whether they apply to any particular institutions are unclear. Two letters from Career Colleges Ontario to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities were filed as part of a court challenge to a government decision to block students at five career college campuses from accessing OSAP loans for this school year.
- Hundreds of cycling advocates filled the streets of downtown Toronto on Friday night as part of a ride organized in response to a recent court ruling allowing the Ford government to move forward with its plan to rip out 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue. Earlier this month, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled unanimously to overturn a previous lower-court decision that said the removal of the lanes would increase the risk of serious injury or death for cyclists. The Court of Appeal said the previous judgment had effectively created a right to bike lanes where none existed, and the justices added that the lower court judge had not only misapplied the law but strayed into policy-making and political considerations.
Manitoba
- Manitoba Hydro has lost its second CEO in two years, after the Crown corporation announced the departure of Allan Danroth Friday morning. His departure comes two years after he left his job as vice-president of the wood-pulp producer Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries to become Manitoba Hydro’s CEO in August 2024. The Crown corporation dismissed Danroth’s predecessor, Jay Grewal, in February 2024, two weeks after she endured criticism from Adrien Sala, the NDP cabinet minister responsible for Hydro. Danroth’s departure also comes as Hydro is in the midst of six weeks of public hearings over its 10-year plan to save and produce more electricity.
- The Manitoba government has announced millions of dollars in new relief measures to support businesses and workers as they deal with the effects of an ongoing tariff war between Canada and the U.S. The support includes additional funding to expand existing programs and to fund new initiatives, such as interprovincial trade missions for Manitoba alcohol producers and wage subsidy support for employers. The new measures also allow businesses to defer provincially administered tax payments from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026.
- Manitoba is rolling out a new health curriculum that will make in-person physical education mandatory for all students from kindergarten to Grade 12. The new curriculum will roll out through a voluntary pilot program beginning this September and continue through the 2027-28 school year, before a full rollout in the 2028-29 year, Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said at a Thursday news conference at Victor Mager School in southeast Winnipeg. “The message of this curriculum is that physical activity and healthy living are for everyone,” Schmidt said.
- Northern Manitoba First Nations are raising new objections to a corporation Premier Wab Kinew hopes will enable the expansion of the Port of Churchill and the construction of a liquefied natural gas shipping corridor through Hudson Bay. A presentation about the proposed Manitoba Crown-Indigenous Corporation held at a meeting of the 26-nation Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak was brought to an early and abrupt end Wednesday.
Saskatchewan
- A Saskatoon police officer who was fired over a friendship with a Hells Angels associate is still trying to get his job back. Former sergeant Robbie Taylor is appealing to the Saskatchewan Police Commission after an independent hearing officer upheld his dismissal in a decision issued earlier this year. Police Chief Cam McBride fired Taylor in March 2025 after determining Taylor was “unsuitable” to be a police officer because of his friendship with a man who was an associate of the Hells Angels biker gang.
- The panel that reviews electrical rates for SaskPower is warning an increase as high as 6.4 per cent could await Saskatchewan in February. The Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel released its recommendations on the proposed SaskPower rate increases on Friday, confirming the 3.9 per cent increase from February but saying it needs more information before the identical increase can be confirmed for next year. The panel is deferring its decision on the next increase until it receives “updated financial information” from SaskPower, according to its news release.
- The Saskatchewan government says it will allow only Canadian companies to build data centres in the province. The province released new framework guidelines for future data centre production Thursday morning. Jeremy Harrison, the minister responsible for SaskPower, spoke with reporters about the framework at a Bell Canada AI data centre construction site in the rural municipality of Sherwood. The new strategy prioritizes Saskatchewan-based partnerships and pushing for the use of local labour. Harrison said that if data centres are not being built in the province, they will be built elsewhere, such as in the U.S. or other countries.
- Precipitation delivered a beating to Saskatchewan’s finances, but higher oil prices helped offset that shortfall. Finance Minister Jim Reiter released the provincial government’s first-quarter update Thursday, revealing a projected deficit of $825 million, $6 million more than predicted in the spring budget. Revenue is expected to receive a $331-million boost, most of which is attributable to a $320-million surge in resource revenue due to higher oil prices linked to the U.S.-Iran war. But that windfall was offset by $337 million in additional spending, largely attributable to higher health-care costs ($200 million) and the impact of spring flooding ($100 million).
Alberta
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she wants to see Canada “double down” on diplomacy efforts with U.S. officials and avoid any further escalation of the trade war between the two countries. On Wednesday, the premier 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. “Although I understand the need to respond strongly to these tariffs, I cannot think of a more disastrous policy decision than cutting off or taxing Alberta’s oil to the United States,” she said.
- Facing calls to cancel or defer Alberta’s referendum amid an escalating U.S.-Canada trade war, Premier Danielle Smith urged Albertans to “vote with me” to remain in Canada during the Oct. 19 vote. “This is an important time for us to be looking at the benefits that come from being a part of Canada,” Smith said during a news conference on Wednesday. “That’s what I’ve been advocating. It’s why I’m voting to remain. “I feel like we have real momentum in our country now, working together, and I hope to persuade as many people as possible to vote with me,” she added.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and three of her ministers spent an hour Thursday fielding calls and online questions from concerned residents about artificial intelligence data centres being built in the province. The virtual town hall was tame compared to the two in-person events held earlier this month, where Technology Minister Nate Glubish was repeatedly hit with criticism, profanity and demands for additional safeguards. For Thursday’s call, Albertans could either submit questions online or, if they registered in advance, over the phone. Moderator Justin Wright, the province’s primary care minister, said over 12,500 people had tuned in.
- The Alberta government says it’s restoring private property rights by removing Water Act approval requirements. Right now, producers say they’re facing unnecessary barriers to managing water on their own cropland. That can include everything from pooling water to having a seasonal wetland on their property. Provincial Environment Minister Grant Hunter says his government is changing that.
British Columbia
- Joan Phillip, the NDP MLA for Vancouver-Strathcona and wife of Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, has died. The UBCIC released a statement saying Phillip, also known as Amshen, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday afternoon. She was 74. While an exact cause of death was not stated, the UBCIC asked people to donate to the B.C. Cancer Society in lieu of sending flowers. “British Columbia lost a powerful and respected leader when Joan Amshen Phillip died earlier today,” said B.C. Premier David Eby in a written statement.
- As British Columbia grapples with wildfires of increasing size and intensity, the province is facing calls to cut red tape to make it easier to conduct prescribed burns. It comes amid concerns that a number of prescribed burns meant to protect the Summerland area from wildfire were delayed by government bureaucracy. In a statement to CBC News, the B.C. Wildfire Service confirmed that preventative burns were in the planning stages for Summerland, Faulder, the Garnet Valley, and the Bald Range backcountry — all areas hit hard by an ongoing wildfire that’s still burning out of control.
- One of B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay’s rivals in this year’s race to lead the party are calling for unity amid a wave of departures. Six Conservative MLAs have quit the party in recent days amid questions about its direction under Findlay. Findlay was elected on the fourth ballot with 51 per cent of the vote in May’s leadership contest. Among her competitors was businessman Yuri Fulmer, who posted a video to social media on Thursday urging the party to unite behind his former rival. Speaking with CBC’s The Early Edition on Friday, Fulmer said Conservatives can’t let “egos get in the way” and must unify if they intend to beat the B.C. NDP.
- B.C. Premier David Eby said the province supports retaliatory tariffs as the trade war with the U.S. ramps up, but urged the federal government to consider non-tariff measures to hit back at punishing American levies. U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on a number of Canadian goods — including some pulp and paper products, appliances and dairy products — with the federal government announcing retaliatory tariffs to start Sept. 8 as a result. With B.C. set to be particularly exposed to the new U.S. tariffs, Eby said Tuesday he was pleased to see the federal dollar-for-dollar tariff response.
Northwest Territories
- The president and CEO of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) is resigning, the company announced Friday, leaving the utility company with two key senior leadership roles unfilled. Cory Strang was the company’s first Indigenous CEO and the first to be born in the N.W.T. He has served as CEO since 2021. According to a company release, he had worked at NTPC in various roles for 28 years, including as chief financial officer.
Yukon
- Harm reduction advocates in Whitehorse believe cychlorphine, a powerful synthetic opioid, is behind a recent surge in overdoses. Jill Aalhus, executive director with Blood Ties Four Directions, says the drug has been known to cause symptoms atypical for opioid overdoses, like nausea and vomiting. “Our supervised consumption site has responded to a number of severe overdoses that occurred more rapidly than we typically see,” she said. “This is a very concerning substance.” Researchers with the non-profit One Yukon Coalition, which does wastewater monitoring in the territory, confirm cychlorphine was first detected in Whitehorse in June. Its presence in Canada was first reported last fall, and the drug has been linked with a number of severe overdoses and deaths in the United States.
Nunavut
- In recent years, the majority of fires investigated in Nunavut have been left without an official cause, as investigators face issues related to weather conditions at the fire scenes. Meanwhile, internal turmoil at the level of the fire marshal’s office has presented challenges. In 2024, there were 127 fires across the territory, 96 of them — three out of four — were classified as undetermined, which means there is “insufficient information” to determine the cause, according to the Nunavut fire marshal’s latest annual report. Of the remaining fires, 26 were classified as accidental and five as arson.