Select Provincial and Territorial Update – June 6, 2026
An overview on Provincial and Territorial updates for the week of June 6, 2026. Written by Wes McLean.
New Brunswick
- David Coon will resign as leader of the New Brunswick Green Party eight years after he led the party to a historic electoral breakthrough. Coon announced Thursday morning that he’ll step down when the party chooses a new leader, which he said he expects will happen by the end of this year.
- Students at École Les Éclaireurs in Fredericton posed for the camera while eating a school lunch handed to them by New Brunswick politicians on Thursday. École Les Éclaireurs is one of 25 schools participating in a pilot project that began last month, ahead of the provincewide rollout of the program in September. Families pay $4 per meal for students in kindergarten to Grade 8 and $5 per meal for students in grades 9 to 12.
- A report from New Brunswick Auditor General Paul Martin highlighted a laundry list of issues his office found with the grant program under the provincial Tourism Department. Martin’s report, released on Tuesday, found it was hard to find public information about grant programs. The report also found that the success of these programs was not tracked and monitoring was limited once grants were awarded.
- On a warm, June afternoon, New Brunswick’s farmers would like to be planting seeds in their fields or tending to their herd. Instead, they were on the lawn of the provincial legislature with noisemakers and signs begging the government to “save our vets.” Over 300 people were protesting the Holt government’s decision to phase out the provincial veterinarian service, which cares for large animals, such as horses and cows.
Nova Scotia
- The number of new doctors in Nova Scotia continues to rise, thanks to international recruitment and new graduates, says the province’s health authority. The province added a total of 278 new doctors in the past fiscal year, Nova Scotia Health said in a news release Thursday. Once departures and retirements are factored in, the net gain was 199 new doctors — a dozen more than the previous year. Of the 278 new doctors, 111 are family doctors and the remaining 167 are specialists, including 12 who started at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.
- Both the federal and provincial governments are announcing new measures to boost Nova Scotia’s mining industry. In Western Shore, N.S., on Thursday, federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu launched a new industry-led alliance aimed at growing the skilled workforce for Canada’s mining industry, which is struggling to fill key jobs. “They have a labour shortage in many areas of the country,” Hajdu said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “They cannot find the kinds of professionals they need.”
- The Nova Scotia government has spent more than $20 million from an agreement it signed with the federal government to help protect land, and the province’s environment minister expects that total to increase as final numbers are crunched. The Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement was signed in 2023 and provided the province with up to $25 million to help protect biodiversity, species at risk and habitat. An additional $3.5 million went directly to the Mi’kmaq.
- Families in Nova Scotia eventually won’t have to worry about putting their children on dozens of daycare waitlists in hopes of securing child care. Work is now underway to build an online child-care portal that will include a centralized daycare waitlist run by the province, the legislature’s public accounts committee heard on Wednesday. It’s a program operators and advocates have been pushing for for years.
Prince Edward Island
- Travelling by ferry between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia could be a safer bet this summer. Northumberland Ferries Ltd. already has a backup ferry, the MV Saaremaa, docked in Wood Islands and poised to fill in if either of its two regular ferries breaks down. The Saaremaa arrived in Wood Islands May 30 and will depart Oct. 15, providing contingency during peak season if the MV Northumberland or MV Confederation were to become unusable for more than a couple of days.
- Prince Edward Island’s latest operating budget, which included a series of cuts, has eliminated funding for a French-language early-years program run by the province’s only francophone family resource centre. The program is called Dès la naissance, which translates to “from birth” in English. It launched in 2017 and is operated by Cap Enfants, based in Wellington. Although located in western P.E.I., the program serves francophone families across the province.
- Prince Edward Island’s nurses have been working without a collective agreement for more than a year, and their union president says delays at the bargaining table are hurting morale and making it harder to recruit and retain staff. The last contract between the P.E.I. Nurses’ Union and Health P.E.I. expired April 1, 2025. That agreement itself took more than two years to negotiate. Since then, the two sides have met 27 times without reaching a new deal, said union president Kim Sears.
- Prince Edward Island is committing to improve programs that help those living with disabilities, officials announced Monday at a news conference in Summerside. Consulting firm Davis Pier did a review of both the AccessAbility Supports Program and the Residential Services Program, gathering feedback from more than 120 participants across the province, including Islanders with disabilities and their caregivers.
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Seafood processor Quinlan Brothers Limited is suing the provincial government, two former fisheries ministers and two provincial fisheries inspectors in the wake of high-profile enforcement actions in 2024 and a legal case that ended abruptly late last year. The company was accused of moving and processing dead snow crab for its plant in Bay de Verde. It was charged with breaches of the provincial Fish Inspection Act and Fish Inspection Operations Regulations. The charges were withdrawn by the Crown in November.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister Lela Evans has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Evans told CBC News in an interview on Wednesday that she’s known about the diagnosis for some time, but is speaking out now as she begins to take a step back from public events to focus on treatment. “I’m hoping for a full recovery. But as I said, if that doesn’t happen, that’s something I’ll take on,” Evans said.
- The House of Assembly has wrapped up its spring sitting, passing 21 pieces of legislation. Members will now be focused on constituency work until they return to the legislature in the fall. This session, they passed a mix of new acts and amendments to existing acts. A new Disability Advocate Act received special attention at the start of the session and was brought through to royal assent on April 20. It allows for the creation of an advocate’s office. It is not under a government department but a statutory office of the House of Assembly, meaning it will report directly to the legislature rather than a government minister.
- The grounds of a long-awaited new K-12 school in Cartwright, N.L. have already been broken, but students and educators will remain at the aging Henry Gordon Academy for a while longer. Residents learned the province had cancelled the $38-million contract in a statement Wednesday. The previous Liberal government had tapped JMJ Holdings Limited last year to construct the new facility. It would have replaced the existing school, built in the 1960s. “People in Cartwright, like me, are feeling all kinds of emotion,” Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair MHA Lisa Dempster told CBC Radio’s Labrador Morning.
Quebec
- Health Minister Sonia Bélanger introduced a bill on Friday to ban energy drinks for those under 16. All parties in the National Assembly support his approach, with the exception of independent MNA Maïté Blanchette Vézina, who has been associated with the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) since March. However, the support of all parliamentarians is needed to adopt the legislation on an expedited basis before the end of the session scheduled for June 12. Bill 9 is intended as a response to the heartfelt plea of the parents of Zachary Miron, a young man who died in 2024 at the age of 15, after the Red Bull he drank interacted with his ADHD medication.
- Premier Christine Fréchette was unaware of the issues with the Digital Health Record (DSN) raised by various media outlets. The daily newspaper Le Devoir and Quebecor media outlets have reported several mishaps, including alleged overdoses caused by the system, as well as delays in chemotherapy treatments. The CAQ government nevertheless maintains that the implementation of the DSN is proceeding smoothly. During Question Period on Friday, Opposition House Leader André Fortin asked the premier if she was aware of the overdoses in particular.
- Quebec Liberals plan to oppose the bill aimed at extending Bill 101 to vocational training and adult education. “The approach proposed by the CAQ is not the best way to protect the language and ensure that adults can achieve a better command of French,” argued Liberal MNA Madwa-Nika Cadet. There are concerns that this measure could discourage adults from returning to school. “What we understand is that these people are not required to do so. So if we tell them, ‘You absolutely must do this in French,’ there is absolutely no guarantee that these people will pursue their vocational training in French. So, these people will simply stay at home,” Cadet added.
- Premier Christine Fréchette called on elected officials Thursday to remain “vigilant” because “threats are coming from all sides.” She was responding to alarming data from the National Assembly, released Tuesday during a parliamentary committee hearing, regarding the safety of its members. Parliamentary security handled 668 cases in 2025–26 compared to 498 the previous year — a 34 per cent increase, according to statistics cited by Chair Nathalie Roy. The cases come from constituency offices and may involve, for example, “threats or acts of vandalism,” officials noted.
Ontario
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford is once again pushing back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s “51st state” rhetoric, suggesting Canada’s sovereignty is not for sale and that the province is outperforming its American counterparts in job creation. “President Trump’s back on his high horse, saying we’re going to be a 51st state. I can tell President Trump that will never, ever happen,” Ford said Thursday at a Toronto news conference. His comments came after Trump reacted to a Bloomberg report this week that Canada had fallen into a technical recession, posting on social media: “51st State!” The remark was later shared by U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra.
- When Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government drastically cut student assistance grants earlier this year, it cited “unsustainable” costs, but new figures show nearly all of the recent growth was among private career college students. Data obtained by The Canadian Press through a freedom of information request shows that between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, the province spent $465 million more on Ontario Student Assistance Program grants, and 95 per cent of that went to private career college students.
- The Ford government has confirmed Ontario will officially take control of the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway away from Toronto next year, completing an agreement that was first signed three years ago. In 2023, the provincial and municipal governments signed a landmark deal to upload the costs of the two highways, as well as funding for homelessness, subways and light rail. The agreement for Ontario to take over the costs of running the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway was contingent on the province running a series of tests and assessments.
- Premier Doug Ford is denying any dissension in the Ontario Progressive Conservative ranks weeks after firing his caucus chair over a heated confrontation about MPP pensions and the purchase of the private jet. Global News was first to reveal details of a closed-door caucus meeting at Queen’s Park in May, in which Ford faced direct criticism for his decision to buy the $28.9 million plane and the toll it took on the rest of the party. Multiple sources said PC MPP Will Bouma, in his role as PC caucus chair, confronted the premier about his decision to scrap consequential changes to the MPP pension plan and linked it to the jet fiasco, leading to his ouster.
Manitoba
- The union representing nurses in Manitoba says front-line staff want to see nurse-patient ratios set as soon as possible after legislation passed earlier this week. “I think that passing the legislation is very positive. I’m just anxious to start rolling out our nurse-patient ratio plan and start getting nurses on floors to provide nurse-patient ratios,” Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, said. “I really would like to have seen them implemented yesterday,” she said.
- Wally Daudrich says the Progressive Conservatives made up excuses to kick the former leadership contender out of a party nomination race he was slated to win. Daudrich estimates he sold about four times as many party memberships as his lone competitor in the Turtle Mountain nomination race. “I went into this following the rules, playing by the rules, doing everything right that I believe they expected of me,” said Daudrich, who narrowly lost the party leadership in 2025.
- A Manitoba judge has approved what a class-action administrator says is a $129-million settlement agreement in a lawsuit that alleged the province’s use of segregation in provincial jails for adults and youth was negligent and breached Charter rights. The agreement was approved Thursday in a Winnipeg courtroom, where Court of King’s Bench Justice Theodor Bock made the decision after hearing emotional comments from people affected by the practice. They included a 22-year-old man who was held in segregation after being incarcerated as a young teen.
- Premier Wab Kinew says there is no opposition among Indigenous leaders in northern Manitoba to the liquefied natural gas pipeline he hopes to see built as part of an effort to expand the Port of Churchill. While formal consultations on the proposed pipeline have yet to begin, he told the CBC News podcast Front Burner that there is no opposition among the chiefs working with the province on the port expansion. “No, I don’t think there is Indigenous opposition,” Kinew said during an episode posted Wednesday.
Saskatchewan
- As involuntary addictions treatment comes closer to a reality in Saskatchewan, First Nations Health Ombudsperson Dianne Lafond says she has concerns about the new law’s introduction and implementation. The Compassionate Intervention Act allows people with severe addictions to be forced into treatment at Saskatchewan Hospital, a secure facility in North Battleford, as early as this fall. “We can go far back and look at residential schools, foster care systems, the incarceration rates, and so many other things that have harmed our people,” Lafond told The 306 host Peter Mills.
- The Saskatchewan Health Authority says mould has been found on the outside pane of a window in the intensive care unit at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. The issue came to light after the NDP Opposition shared photos at a news conference Friday morning, along with a memo indicating that the problem was still there at least two weeks after staff reported it. The NDP’s associate health critic Keith Jorgenson called for an independent review of safety and cleanliness standards at the hospital.
- Parents and child-care operators are already feeling the effects of the Saskatchewan government’s pending adjustments to daycare funding, according to the province’s Opposition. Come July 1, the government will modify the grant provided to daycares to cover the gap between the actual cost of a placement and the $10-a-day cost to parents. Providers currently receive a grant for every child enrolled, including those sharing part-time spots. The new policy will limit funding to one grant per physical space. The Opposition NDP held its latest news conference about the change on Wednesday, saying some daycare owners are already limiting space.
- Denare Beach residents are gathering on the shores of Amisk Lake to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Wolf Fire, the massive wildfire that tore through the northern village and destroyed more than 200 homes. The June 2 event will be a day of healing and reconnecting with neighbours, Denare Beach councillor and deputy mayor Karen Thomson said in an interview with CBC News. “Some people are still in a place of deep sorrow, and some people on the opposite end are feeling totally optimistic and looking forward to the future,” Thomson said.
Alberta
- Almost $400 billion of transitional costs, plus somewhere in the neighbourhood of $25 billion to $50 billion in annual costs. That was Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s early estimate of the price tag facing her province should it separate from Canada. “I think it’s responsible for us to be very forthright about the cost associated with what is being proposed, so people can make an informed decision,” Smith said Monday.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette signalled a warming of relations Wednesday, where they highlighted opportunities for deeper economic cooperation and shared approaches to provincial autonomy. Meeting at the National Assembly in Quebec City, the two leaders struck a collegial tone despite a history of political differences between their provinces. “I’m so delighted to be here to have this conversation about renewing our great friendship between Alberta and Quebec,” Smith said.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the law will be enforced if First Nations engage in civil disobedience over her government’s separation referendum. At an unrelated news conference in Calgary on Friday, she said: “I hope it doesn’t come to that.” On Oct. 19, Albertans will vote on whether they want to stay in Canada or start the process to hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country. First Nations leaders across the province have been pushing back against talk of secession, and Smith’s decision to put it on a ballot.
- Alberta’s transportation minister declined on Friday to say whether he’d vote for or against his province remaining in Canada, becoming the first cabinet minister to publicly avoid taking what Premier Danielle Smith says is the anti-separation stance of her cabinet, caucus and party. Devin Dreeshen was standing with Smith to announce the results of the province’s latest passenger rail study when a reporter asked him directly how he’d vote on the Oct. 19 referendum, which asks if Albertans want to remain in Canada or hold a future binding vote on independence. He first insisted his “one vote” was irrelevant next to the roughly 100 people gathered at the announcement. Then he suggested the onus should really be on Ottawa to persuade Albertans that it’s worth staying in Canada.
British Columbia
- The union representing 911 call-takers across B.C. has issued a 72-hour strike notice, saying they have been unable to reach a deal with their employer and would be in a legal position to strike on Monday afternoon. CUPE Local 8911, which represents over 700 call-takers and other workers employed by E-Comm (Emergency Communications for British Columbia Incorporated), issued the strike notice on Friday. It came after a 95 per cent vote in favour of strike action last month, with the union saying that workers were being pushed “to their breaking point” and negotiations had reached an impasse.
- The B.C. government and the province’s doctors’ association have agreed on a four-year extension of the labour deal between the two sides. A joint statement by the B.C. Ministry of Health and Doctors of B.C. says voting by more than 4,000 doctors on the deal ended Thursday at midnight with almost 92 per cent supporting the deal. The wording of the deal, known as the Physician Main Agreement, has not been released, but the province says it ensures doctors are available amid rising patient demand.
- The B.C. Prosecution Service says Independent MLA Jordan Kealy, who represents Peace River North, has been charged with one count of sexual assault. The service says the alleged offences occurred between Jan. 1 and Sept. 20, 2024. Court documents indicate the alleged offences took place in Cecil Lake, a rural area where Kealy farms north of Fort St. John. The prosecution service says a Vancouver-based special prosecutor was assigned to the case on Feb. 9, 2026 to “avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice considering the nature of the allegations and the identity of the accused as an elected public official.”
- B.C.’s jobs minister says he doesn’t think Canada will get a new trade deal with the United States and Mexico anytime soon, and he’s not sure pursuing one now is worthwhile. Ravi Kahlon made the comments at the B.C. Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting in Fort St. John on Wednesday. “I’m sorry if that gives people a bit of anxiety,” Kahlon said. “The environment we’re in, I’ve never seen the type of rhetoric from our friends from down south that we’re seeing right now.” His comments come as the Trump administration plans to hit more than 60 countries with new tariffs — including Canada — over allegations the countries are allowing goods produced by forced labour into their supply chains.
Northwest Territories
- A bylaw change could make it easier to get affordable housing built in Yellowknife. Deputy mayor Rob Warburton asked city staff at last week’s council meeting to come back with recommendations for selling municipal land for as little as a dollar to any nonprofit planning to build affordable housing. Right now, the city can do that for just one organization: Habitat for Humanity. “What we need is a lot more housing,” Warburton said. The N.W.T needs at least 1,700 homes right now and estimates it will need 1,000 more over the next 20 years, according to the government of the Northwest Territories’ latest Territorial Housing Needs Assessment.
Yukon
- A Yukon human rights tribunal has awarded a Dawson City woman $55,000 after she was fired and denied a new contract with Yukon University immediately after returning from domestic violence leave. The Yukon Human Rights Panel of Adjudicators ruled May 28 that Yukon University discriminated against Melissa Antony, a contract worker, after she went on one week of domestic violence leave in 2023. She’d worked for the university for nearly two and a half years when — on her second day back at work from domestic violence leave — her supervisor, John Reid, told her to wrap up her remaining projects “in the next day or two.”
Nunavut
- Kilikvak Kabloona is no longer the chief executive officer of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., says Hannah Uniuqsaraq, the organization’s director of self determination. Uniuqsaraq will be the acting CEO while NTI figures out its “next steps,” she said in an email to Nunatsiaq News when asked about Kabloona’s departure. She didn’t say why Kabloona left the organization responsible for ensuring obligations under the Nunavut Agreement are upheld. “We thank Kilikvak for her contributions to the organization, Nunavut Inuit and wish her well,” Uniuqsaraq said. “NTI’s work will continue without interruption.”