In the news today: Striking Alberta teachers, province set to meet

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

Alberta teachers, province set to meet for first time since strike began last week

The union representing Alberta teachers and the provincial government’s bargaining committee are set to meet today for the first time since a provincewide strike began Oct. 6. The strike, entering its sixth day, has kept some 740,000 students across 2,500 schools out of classrooms. Finance Minister Nate Horner said last week the province had received a new proposal from the Alberta Teachers’ Association, which represents the 51,000 teachers. The last offer on the table, overwhelmingly rejected in a vote by teachers late last month, included a 12 per cent pay raise over four years and a promise to hire 3,000 more teachers to address class sizes.

Newfoundland and Labrador votes today

It’s election day in Newfoundland and Labrador. Liberal Leader John Hogan is hoping his party will be elected to form another majority government. The Liberals have been in power for 10 years in Canada’s easternmost province, but Progressive Conservative Leader Tony Wakeham says it is time for change. NDP Leader Jim Dinn said Monday he believes the election will be a referendum on the Liberals’ leadership. The Liberals held 19 of 40 seats in the legislature when the election was called last month and the Conservatives held 14. There was one NDP member, two Independents and four vacant seats.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Anand in India after trade ministers speak

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is in India, marking the first visit by a Canadian cabinet minister after two years of diplomatic strain. Anand will address the media this morning after meeting with her Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in New Delhi and with plans to meet business leaders in Mumbai. On Monday, Anand met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying in a statement that the meeting was about building on the momentum gained earlier this summer when Modi was visiting Canada at the G7 summit and met Prime Minister Mark Carney.

AI touted to speed up nation-building projects

A Calgary tech company says artificial intelligence could help in Canada’s push for new nation-building projects. Ultimarii has developed an AI-enabled platform that can create a regulatory road map in minutes. Co-founder Doug Schweitzer, a former Alberta cabinet minister, says that includes plotting out what permits and approvals are needed, as well as assessing potential risks. The program can also help users anticipate questions that may come up in regulatory hearings and draft responses.

Fired Marineland employee speaks out on whales

A beluga trainer who was fired from Marineland earlier this year says the park’s crumbling infrastructure and lack of resources have created dangerous conditions for its remaining belugas and they should be moved immediately. Kristy Burgess is speaking out for the first time about her experience at Marineland after the Ontario park threatened to euthanize 30 belugas if it doesn’t receive emergency funding from Ottawa. Burgess says the belugas’ pools are in desperate need of repair, with their painted walls peeling and concrete chunks falling into the water.

Canmore hoping changes will stop sewage smell

A persistent stench wafting through the bucolic mountain town of Canmore, Alta., has prompted one local to coin a new tourism slogan for his local newspaper. Jamie McVicar wrote a letter to the editor that reads, “Visit Canmore: Come climb a peak; don’t mind the reek.” The picturesque town on the eastern edge of Banff National Park has been permeated by a strong sewer smell for years, emanating from the community’s sewage treatment plant. The town has been trying to fix the sewage problem, and the latest plan is to replace the open air tanks with those that have lids.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2025.

The Canadian Press