In the news today: Truth and Reconciliation Day marked by events

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

5th annual Truth and Reconciliation Day marked by events in Ottawa, Toronto

Today is the fifth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a day where Canadians reflect on the legacy of residential schools and remember the survivors and those who never made it home. The residential school era refers to a period between 1857 and 1996, where 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools where they were barred from speaking their languages in institutions often rife with abuse, located far away from their families and communities. An estimated 6,000 children died while attending the schools, although experts say the actual number could be much higher. Sept. 30, known as Orange Shirt Day or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is meant to honour survivors and those who never came home.

Alberta teachers reject latest contract offer

Alberta teachers have rejected the provincial government’s latest contract offer, setting the stage for a provincewide strike next week. The Alberta Teachers’ Association, which represents 51,000 teachers across the province, announced Monday that nearly 90 per cent of those who voted over the past three days rejected the deal. Union president Jason Schilling told reporters the “historical” no vote was a sign of just how disrespected teachers are feeling and a clear indication that teachers need more to succeed than what the province is offering. The rejected offer, which stemmed from a brief bargaining session earlier this month following a break in talks, included a 12-per-cent pay raise over four years and a government promise to hire 3,000 more teachers to address class sizes.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Talks off between B.C. and public service union

The head of the union representing British Columbia’s 34,000 public sector workers says a government request to get back to the bargaining table appears to have been a “cheap stunt” as it offered little change to end weeks of strike action. Paul Finch, president of the BC General Employees’ Union, said negotiators for the employer were three hours late and hardly increased their offer. Finch, who is also the chair of the public service bargaining committee, said the union will escalate sharply its job action after the “disrespect” shown by the government. The BCGEU had been asking for wage increases totalling 8.25 per cent over two years, but said in a statement Monday that it countered the government’s offer with a wage increase of four per cent in each year of a two-year agreement.

Legault embarks on ‘last-chance’ session

Quebec Premier François Legault returns to the provincial legislature this week promising to pull his party back from the brink. Polls suggest the Coalition Avenir Québec could be wiped off the electoral map, and some observers say the fall legislative session will be Legault’s last chance to prove he deserves to lead his party into a third election next year. Legault is trying to improve his party’s popularity with a shift to the right, including promises to make cuts to the public service, crack down on crime and speed up approvals for major projects. He will give an inaugural speech today after proroguing the provincial legislature earlier this month. The next Quebec election is scheduled for October 2026.

Canadians split on Indigenous land ownership

As people across the country gather for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a new poll suggests Canadians are divided about whether the country belongs primarily to Indigenous peoples. A Leger poll of more than 16-hundred people conducted in August says about a third of Canadians believe Canada belongs “first and foremost” to Indigenous peoples. The poll, which was conducted online and can’t be assigned a margin of error, suggests that younger Canadians are far more likely to think the country belongs to Indigenous peoples. The poll says 43 per cent of Canadians don’t agree that Canada belongs first and foremost to Indigenous peoples, while 19 per cent of respondents say they don’t know.

A glimpse of Trudeau’s congratulatory call that might have been to Kamala Harris

Justin Trudeau had clear guidance on what to say early last November in the event he should pick up the phone to congratulate Kamala Harris on becoming the first woman president of the United States. Advisers suggested Trudeau tell Harris he was pleased to work on shared priorities including women’s rights, abortion rights, and climate change and the environment. Notes prepared for the call also counselled Trudeau — the prime minister at the time — to say he would welcome Harris to Canada at the next possible opportunity. The briefing notes were not needed, of course, as Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, earning him a second term after serving from 2016 to 2020. However, the notes and related materials obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act show federal officials were prepared for a victory by either presidential contender.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2025.

The Canadian Press