Provincial and Territorial Update – November 7, 2025
An overview on Provincial and Territorial updates for the week of November 7, 2025. Written by Wes McLean.
NOTE: The House of Commons continued debating the federal budget today. The Liberal government survived its second confidence vote, with a Bloc Quebecois amendment being defeated. As a result, the fourth and final day of debate, with a vote, will take place on Monday the 17th of November.
New Brunswick
- With a new licence plate change, New Brunswick will no longer be stuck in the past. If approved by the legislature, New Brunswick will join most other Canadian provinces and territories in eliminating licence plate renewal stickers. The stickers, which vehicle owners now buy every year to renew their registration, would go by the wayside. This is hardly new in Canada. Out of the country’s 13 provinces and territories, only New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Nunavut are still using stickers.
- The rationale behind N.B. Power’s controversial decision to build a gas-fired power plant on a 550-acre woodlot is outlined in a recent report from the utility, but critics aren’t buying it. In December 2024, N.B. Power told reporters the major new gas plant would likely be built in the Scoudouc Industrial Park, about 22 kilometres northeast of Moncton. However, according to the two-page report, the utility decided just two months later that it would instead opt for property near Centre Village in rural Tantramar.
- New Brunswick’s natural resources minister says the province’s historic exemption from U.S. softwood lumber duties may be gone forever, and it’s time for a single, unified national lobbying focus to secure a new deal with the Americans. John Herron told CBC News that while the province continues to disagree with U.S. industry claims that its wood is unfairly subsidized, he did not want to take a position that might heighten disagreements with other provinces.
- New Brunswick industry is likely to get a boost from the federal budget introduced Tuesday, Premier Susan Holt suggests. Holt highlighted investments in critical infrastructure and trade infrastructure as “positive steps for New Brunswick” in a statement she made after the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government was delivered. She went on to say her government will be looking to work with federal partners to ensure the Sisson Mine project and the ports of Belledune and Saint John “get the investments they need to power our economy.”
Nova Scotia
- Paul Wozney says he received a blunt assessment of an overcrowded emergency room, where he was told some patients had been waiting over 70 hours. “It’s Armageddon here.” Wozney, an NDP member of the Nova Scotia Legislature, told The Canadian Press a health-care worker gave him this description when they called in the middle of their shift on Tuesday, which they called the “worst day on record.”
- MP Jaime Battiste has received four fines for election rule violations stemming back to his run for the Liberal nomination in his Nova Scotia riding in 2019. Federal Elections Commissioner Caroline Simard announced that Battiste had been fined a total of $600 for four violations, including personally donating more than the maximum limit to his campaign, accepting campaign donations into his personal bank account, personally paying for a number of campaign expenses and returning a declaration to Elections Canada that contained false or misleading information.
- Nova Scotia’s auditor general reaffirmed her view Wednesday that the provincial government is not following public procurement laws by giving long-term care home operators a right of first refusal on new builds, but the seniors and long-term care deputy minister will only commit to revisiting the approach. Kim Adair’s audit from September was the subject of discussion at the legislature’s public accounts committee. Among other things, the report found that more than 4,000 beds were not procured using a competitive bid process.
- Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont said Wednesday he left the Conservative caucus because he didn’t feel represented in leader Pierre Poilievre’s party anymore and bristled at his “negative” approach to politics. D’Entremont said there are other Conservative MPs who “are in the same boat” and they may join him in crossing over to the Liberals.
Prince Edward Island
- Robin Croucher, P.E.I.’s minister of education and early years, faced more questions in P.E.I. Legislature about how long it took the province to respond to a sexual touching case in Island schools. Late last month, the government introduced a ministerial directive aimed at increasing security checks for school staff. But during question period on Thursday, Liberal MLA Carolyn Simpson expressed concerns about why Croucher’s directive took so long to come to fruition — six months after a former substitute teacher, Matthew Alan Craswell, pleaded guilty to sexually touching an elementary school student in a classroom.
- The federal government is set to slash 16,000 positions — or about 4.5 per cent of the public service workforce — over the next three years, and it’s not yet clear what that might mean for P.E.I., where the federal government is one of the largest employers. According to the federal budget announced Tuesday, the reductions are expected to begin in April 2026 and continue until 2029.
- About a dozen Islanders who have loved ones in privately operated long-term care homes in Prince Edward Island say they’re concerned about the care their loved ones are getting in comparison to those living in government-run homes. In a letter to Health and Wellness Minister Mark McLane, the group shared “deep concerns” about a lack of training, timely medical attention and government oversight in the private facilities. One of those who signed the letter, Susan Munn, was at the P.E.I. Legislature on Wednesday. Her mother is 98 years old and lives in a private long-term care home. Munn spoke on behalf of the concerned residents.
- P.E.I.’s capital budget is prioritizing what Islanders need most, with health-care infrastructure and education leading the way in new spending, says Finance Minister Jill Burridge. Burridge tabled the province’s 2026-27 capital budget in P.E.I. Legislature on Tuesday afternoon, the opening day of the fall sitting. This year’s budget spending is only slightly higher than last year’s record-breaking budget. The government estimates it will spend $486.5 million for 2026-27, and a total of about $1.6 billion over the next five years.
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Memorial University might have to say goodbye to its campus in the United Kingdom, as staff work to address the institution’s $20 million deficit and declining student enrolment at home. “We are outspending our revenue, and as a consequence, we need to reconcile every dollar against our priorities,” MUN president Janet Morrison told CBC News on Thursday. Morrison said MUN’s priorities are academic quality and student experience as the university navigates its tough financial situation by evaluating the operating costs of all its assets, including its Harlow campus.
- Nearly 50 people gathered in Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Thursday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of 32 affordable housing units for seniors. And it wasn’t just the completed builds that folks celebrated; the Happy Valley-Goose Bay Housing and Homelessness Coalition announced it has received conditional funding to build 40 more units in the subdivision. Jackie Compton Hobbs is the executive director of the coalition. She said the ribbon-cutting ceremony was overwhelming and uplifting.
- The federal budget has been tabled in Ottawa, and it has one proposed item that is generating optimism in Newfoundland and Labrador’s mining sector. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s budget proposes to expand eligibility for the critical mineral exploration tax credit to include 12 additional minerals, including manganese and fluorspar. That could have positive financial implications for two companies in the province. Singapore-based AMED Funds is looking to revive the fluorspar mining industry on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula, and there’s Wabush-based Tacora Resources.
- The federal government’s proposal to eliminate the oil and gas emissions cap is resonating in Newfoundland and Labrador, with provincial party leaders arguing it has served as a roadblock to development in the province. While federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said on Tuesday that there’s still work to be done to make it a reality, an effective carbon pricing strategy and carbon capture could render a cap no longer necessary. That’s music to the ears of Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham, who said Wednesday that’s what he wanted to see.
Quebec
- A day after being expelled from Premier François Legault’s caucus, a member of the Quebec legislature says she no longer recognizes the party she used to represent. Isabelle Poulet says she is “profoundly disappointed” by how the Coalition Avenir Québec government has handled a new law that changes how doctors in the province are paid. “The status quo is no longer possible. The health care system must be reformed. But I cannot support the proposed solution,” she wrote in a speech published Wednesday morning on Facebook.“This reform has been poorly conceived and poorly communicated.”
- The Quebec government is extending an olive branch to the province’s doctors amid a fight over a new law that changes how physicians are paid. Treasury Board president France-Élaine Duranceau says Premier François Legault wants to restart talks with doctors. Health Minister Christian Dubé says two elements of the new law that change how physicians are paid will be paused during negotiations. The government is maintaining the bonus granted to medical specialists for first consultations until further notice. This bonus was to be abolished, and the money redistributed. It also maintains the 30 per cent supplement that was paid to physicians in family medicine groups (FMGs) to pay their administrative costs.
- The Quebec government has lowered its immigration targets for the coming years to 45,000 new permanent residents annually. The new immigration plan, published Thursday morning, marks a significant decrease from the 61,000 permanent immigrants who are expected in Quebec this year. But the government had been considering even deeper cuts — to as low as 25,000 permanent residents per year. Quebec wants nearly 80 per cent of those immigrants to have intermediate French-language skills by 2029, up from 50 per cent in 2019.
- A coalition of Montreal business associations is calling on the Quebec government to end the month-long public transit strike by prematurely applying a strike-busting law. Bill 89 allows the government to maintain services that it considers important to the well-being of the population in the event of a strike or a lockout. It is facing several legal challenges, with critics arguing that the legislation violates the constitutional right to strike. The law comes into force on Nov. 30, two days after the public transit strike is expected to end. Maintenance workers with the Syndicat du Transport de Montréal (STM) launched their strike on Oct. 31.
Ontario
- Ontario taxpayers are set to spend $9.1 million to learn if or how it is feasible to build a tunnel under Highway 401. The province issued a request for proposals for the study in the spring, and a spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria stated on Thursday that WSP Canada Inc. had been recently awarded the contract. “Our government is making significant progress on the transformational project to build a tunnel under Highway 401 that will get people and goods moving across the province faster,” Dakota Brasier wrote.
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford appears to be aligning with Prime Minister Mark Carney as the federal government asserts its authority over high-stakes trade talks with the Trump administration. Ford and Carney have been at odds over Ontario’s anti-tariff commercial, which featured Ronald Reagan’s stance on protectionism, raising the ire of the U.S. president and leading to the suspension of tariff negotiations.
- Ontario’s opposition parties are questioning the province’s labour minister about the possibility that money from the $2.5 billion Skills Development Fund ended up at a company tied to an “adult entertainment club.” Records viewed by CTV News show connections between an organization that received under $10 million in grants from the labour ministry and the operator of a new nightclub on Toronto’s Exhibition Grounds, though the people involved denied that provincial money was used there.
- Ontario is facing an increasingly dire economic future as the impacts of tariffs from the United States continue to take a toll, with the government revising its estimates for growth, job creation, and the housing market downward. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tabled his Fall Economic Statement on Thursday afternoon with a smattering of minor policy changes dominated by the grim provincial outlook. Since the budget was tabled less than six months ago, in mid-May, the government’s job creation projects have been revised down from 73,000 to 70,000. Next year, the province is expected to see 35,000 new jobs created, up from the previous projection of 33,000.
Manitoba
- Some medical professionals say detaining highly intoxicated people for up to three days could put lives at risk if it’s not accompanied by proper care. On Wednesday, the Manitoba Legislature passed the NDP government’s Bill 48, the Protective Detention and Care of Intoxicated Persons Act, which will enable the establishment of a “protective care centre,” or a detox facility. The legislation will allow highly intoxicated people to be detained there for up to 72 hours, up from the previous maximum of 24 hours. That change is needed to address the effects of potent drugs like methamphetamine, the province has said.
- University officials and students in Manitoba say they are disappointed after the federal government announced plans to significantly reduce the number of international students permitted to study in Canada. “There is so much value in local students meeting and interacting with international students, and hearing stories about education abroad outside of Canada, outside of Manitoba,” University of Winnipeg student Alexandra Kretskaya said.
- The federal government’s new proposed spending plan falls short of addressing the needs of Indigenous people, says the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, which is decrying budget cuts to First Nations programming and what it describes as a lack of consultation in drafting the budget. “We are dealing with a budget … that doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. “The money that the federal government receives does come from the resources of First Nations,” but “what we see continually every year is the government continues to make decisions … without the involvement or the participation of First Nations,” said Wilson.
- Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew stirred up controversy Monday in denouncing a Supreme Court of Canada ruling on child pornography and calling for offenders to be buried underneath prisons. “Child sexual abuse images and video, this is like one of the worst things that anyone can do,” Kinew told reporters. “Not only should [you] go to prison for a long time, but they should bury you under the prison. You shouldn’t get protective custody. They should put you into the general population, if you know what I mean.”
Saskatchewan
- Saskatchewan’s governing party is hoping to regain support from voters in the province’s two major cities as members prepare to meet at the party’s biennial convention this weekend. One of the themes at Saturday’s event is being called “Earn Back Saskatoon” and “Earn Back Regina,” says Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff. Cheveldayoff is the Saskatchewan Party’s only legislature from the two cities. He said the push to take them back follows last year’s election, which saw the party wiped out in Regina and nearly eliminated in Saskatoon.
- Premier Scott Moe is defending a series of proposed amendments to the Saskatchewan Party’s constitution that would make permanent residents no longer eligible for a voting membership with the party. Moe said the changes would bring the party in line with Elections Saskatchewan rules on who can vote in an election in the province. “We feel it’s prudent to mirror the Elections Saskatchewan parameters,” Moe told media after Thursday’s question period in the provincial legislature.
- Lana Morelli says she just wants to honour Canadian war veterans — in the very place they fought to protect. The veteran prosecutor wore a poppy on her gown Monday at the Court of King’s Bench at the start of a trial. She learned by email that it is not allowed because of a court “practice directive.” “It may open the flood gates to other items being worn on our gowns,” she said of the directive’s reasoning. “The reason that gowns are worn is so that everybody looks the same, so that there are no issues or disparities between individuals. And that, if we start to wear poppies, that people may start wearing other adornments on their gowns or make those requests.”
- The president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation says she hopes the Supreme Court will bring clarity to the province’s pronoun law, following the country’s highest court’s announcement that it will hear appeals on the matter. The law prevents children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school without parental consent, which Samantha Becotte said puts teachers in a difficult position. “We continue to advocate for the government of Saskatchewan to repeal Bill 137 and ensure that teachers have that professional autonomy,” she said.
Alberta
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending her government’s move to quickly pass back-to-work legislation, invoking the notwithstanding clause, saying democracy is about elected officials making decisions — not the courts. The government passed the law last week to end a three-week teachers’ strike, saying the growing toll on more than 740,000 students demanded action. Smith says elected officials were doing their jobs and, if they got it wrong, they’ll “hear about it in the polls.” The premier also says she’s serious about addressing long-standing concerns that were thrust to the forefront by the 51,000 striking teachers.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government has no plans to change provincial recall legislation — at least, for the moment. The legislation has been brought to the forefront lately, as two petitions were recently approved by Elections Alberta, kick-starting efforts to unseat members of Smith’s United Conservative caucus, with more petitions potentially on the way. Smith, during question period on Wednesday, said she’s concerned such petition drives aren’t using the legislation in good faith but instead are trying to overthrow her government.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney came close to telling a Bay Street audience today that he will secure a new pipeline for Alberta, offering his strongest endorsement yet of the idea. During an address to the Canadian Club Toronto this afternoon, Carney told the audience not to worry because “we’re on the pipeline stuff” without offering any details. But then Carney stopped himself short and said, “Well, something’s going to happen, let’s put it that way.” Speaking in Calgary today, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she hopes to sign a memorandum of understanding with Ottawa on the province’s proposal for a pipeline to bring oil to the B.C. coast, as well as advancing the Pathways carbon capture project.
- Alberta’s provincial government is considering increasing the speed limits on rural highways to 120 km/h. On roads like the QE2, that’s an increase of 10 km/h from the current maximum speed of 110 km/h. To help gather public feedback on the proposal the government is conducting an online survey that runs until Dec. 12. The province’s Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, Devin Dreeshen, said in a press release that the survey will provide Albertans with the opportunity to provide input on which highways should be prioritized for an increase in the speed limit, whether commercial trucks should be restricted from using the far-left lane on some highways.
British Columbia
- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Friday that it has culled the ostrich population on a farm in Edgewood, B.C. The announcement came a day after the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear an appeal to save the flock at Universal Ostrich Farms, where avian flu was detected last December. The CFIA said in a statement that after consulting with experts, it concluded that “the most appropriate and humane option was to use professional marksmen in a controlled on-farm setting.”
- In his final budget before facing voters next October, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is presenting a property tax freeze and $50 million more for police, balanced by major cuts to arts, culture, community services and sustainability departments. And he’s confident it’s a political winner. “I think the distinction is pretty clear. We stand for public safety, affordability, and housing. The opposition, they stand for increasing property taxes by six to seven per cent,” said Sim, in an interview after the draft budget was released.
- B.C. Premier David Eby stood with members of numerous First Nations from B.C.’s northern coast on Wednesday to support and sign a declaration that asks Ottawa to continue a moratorium on oil tankers in the province’s northern waters. The North Coast Protection Declaration is the latest advocacy by B.C. to urge the federal government to protect the environment and the autonomy of First Nations, as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pushes for a new private-sector pipeline that would send crude oil to the northern B.C. coast for export to Asia.
- The B.C. Conservatives are reiterating their call for the province to pause all Aboriginal title negotiations until the controversial Cowichan title case is resolved. Leader John Rustad and deputy indigenous relations critic Scott McInnis, MLA for Columbia River-Revelstoke, said in a statement Thursday that the government is operating in secrecy and without legal clarity. “You can’t tell homeowners not to worry while quietly signing agreements that require absolute clarity around the indefeasible ownership over their private property,” said Rustad.
Northwest Territories
- The new Liberal government’s first budget proposes big spending on infrastructure and defence, which is promising to some Northwest Territories leaders, but others say what’s missing are similar investments in the country’s residents, particularly those in the North.
“This budget seems to really emphasize the physical infrastructure, and I think our greatest need right now is skilled people,” said Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan. To Morgan, meeting this need means spending on the education system; certainty around Jordan’s Principle policy; money for healthcare workers; investments in job training and help attracting specialized workers to the North.
Yukon
- The Yukon’s premier-designate says he’s ready to start implementing key promises from his election campaign but stopped short of pledging electoral reform even after residents voted in favour of changing to a ranked ballot. Currie Dixon made history Monday when his Yukon Party picked up 14 of the 21 available ridings, meaning he’ll become the first premier born in the territory.
“Ultimately, it’s an honour and a generational shift. And I’m certainly very proud to be the first Yukoner born in the territory to become the premier,” he said in an interview Tuesday, noting that earlier premiers had “generational roots in the territory” but were in power at a time when people had to leave the Yukon to give birth.
Nunavut
- In a buzzing House of Commons foyer on Wednesday, NDP MP Lori Idlout quietly explained how children are going hungry in her Nunavut riding as families grapple with an acute affordability crisis that, she said, will only worsen with federal spending cuts.
“The Liberals’ political decisions are already having a devastating impact,” Idlout told CBC Indigenous. “For example, for no reason other than politics, when they decided to cancel the ICFI’s hamlet food voucher program, Inuit were placed back into poverty.”