The Canadian folk icon was welcomed by Carney in a lionizing speech.

"Joni's music didn't just provide the soundtrack to our lives. She shifted culture, inspired generations and redefined what songwriting could be," Carney said.

Taking the stage to a thunderous standing ovation, Mitchell told the audience she was "so happy to be in Canada" with "our wonderful prime minister."

"I'm living in the States, and you know what's happening there," the 82-year-old said.

"This man is a blessing. You guys are so fortunate," Mitchell added as the crowd cheered.

She added that her life has improved since her brain aneurysm in 2015: “I went into a coma, which helped me to quit smoking. And my house filled up with the most wonderful nurses. I was on the road with men for years and years. Now I live with a house full of women ... so my life has changed for the better, out of a catastrophe, like a phoenix."

Mitchell then joined a musical tribute to her oeuvre with several Canadian artists, including Sarah McLachlan, Allison Russell, Jully Black, The Beaches and Alessia Cara.

She took the mic and joined a sing-along of her 1970 hit "Big Yellow Taxi," swaying along with the music and beaming, though slightly off rhythm.


Earlier in the night, Carney and Mitchell sat side-by-side at the ceremony. Host Mae Martin quipped that their "parents" were at the show, before the camera cut to the duo.

"I'm just kidding, those are not my parents," the comedian said. "I'm not a nepo baby."

The wholehearted vibes were in the air throughout the evening, as Drake suspended his years-long feud with the Junos to pay tribute to Nelly Furtado, who was being inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame.
The Toronto rapper moved Furtado to tears with his video speech toasting her.

Reading from a piece of paper while sitting in a studio, Drake said Furtado “showed us what was possible and what a Canadian artist could be.”

Drake has not shown up at the Junos since hosting 15 years ago, when he was infamously snubbed despite being up for several awards.

"To the Junos, because you are honouring one of my dearest friends tonight, I will spare you, even though I know you're still thinking about those six awards that you gave to Shad in 2011 when you snubbed 'Take Care' as I hosted the 40th anniversary of your award show," he said.

"But listen, that's neither here nor there. Tonight we'll let it go."

Speaking with reporters backstage, singer-songwriter Shawn Desman said he heard Drake was initially planning on attending in person.

"I'm not sure what happened. But Drake is a good dude," Desman said.

Furtado was feted by singers such as Cara, Black, Desman and Tanya Tagaq in a live medley of her greatest hits.

Kardinal Offishall, who also was on hand to celebrate Furtado, said he was proud to see how far she'd come, noting he was in the studio with Timbaland the day the American rapper and producer purchased a copy of her album.

"He was like, 'I think I wanna work with her,'" he told The Canadian Press on the orange carpet earlier in the night. "To see what's happened since then, it's just awesome."



Meanwhile, Rush opened the ceremony with their first performance at an awards show since 1978.

They performed "Finding My Way" with new drummer Anika Nilles, filling in for Neil Peart, who died in 2020.

"Music lives beyond tragedy, beyond anything that can happen in your life," frontman Geddy Lee later told reporters.

Toronto's The Beaches took home best group — marking the third year in a row they've claimed the prize.

"I also want to thank my ex who said, 'If you're going to write a song about me, at least make it good.' Well, I guess it was good enough," quipped guitarist Leandra Earl, referencing the track "Lesbian of the Year."

Daniel Caesar took home best R&B recording for his fourth studio album, "Son of Spergy," and was honoured with the international achievement award. The artist from Oshawa, Ont., performed a hushed set from the album after a moving speech from Mustafa praising him.

"He's always trying to interrogate what it means to navigate a working life, a life with purpose, a life with dignity," Mustafa said. "And that, I think, is what separates an artist and an entertainer; a writer and someone that I think operates like a heart surgeon when they're writing songs."

Caesar accepted the R&B award while standing next to his dad.

"Thank you to my dad, this is Spergy, right here … and to my mom, and to Mustafa, thanks for the kind words."

B.C. rapper bbno$ took home the fan choice award — voted on by the audience — for the second year in a row. He was not in attendance to receive the trophy, which was accepted on his behalf by R&B duo Majid Jordan.

Most of the awards were handed out at a livestreamed gala last night, where no-show Tate McRae emerged as the big winner.

The Calgary-born pop star took home four of the night’s biggest prizes, including best artist, single for “Sports Car,” and album of the year for "So Close To What," along with pop album of the year for the same project.

Cameron Whitcomb, the newcomer who took home country album of the year at last night's ceremony, won breakthrough artist Sunday.

Ahead of the ceremony, he said the opportunity to perform at the show left him speechless.

"From working on a pipeline to being here, it's just — I can't even, I don't even know what to say," he said on the carpet.

He noted that he flew his parents out to the ceremony in business class — a first for his family.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2026.

Alex Nino Gheciu and Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press

The prime minister will make his Junos debut at Hamilton's TD Coliseum on Sunday evening.

Also due at the ceremony are Joni Mitchell, who will receive a lifetime achievement award, and Nelly Furtado, who is being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Sarah McLachlan and Allison Russell will perform a tribute for Mitchell, while Alessia Cara, Jully Black, Shawn Desman and Tanya Tagaq will collaborate on a celebration of Furtado's music.

Leading nominees including Justin Bieber, Tate McRae and The Weeknd are not expected to attend.

The Junos, hosted by comedian-turned-musician Mae Martin, will air on CBC TV, CBC Gem and other CBC platforms at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 28, 2026.

The Canadian Press

Planned changes to the elementary band program are set to roll out at Regina Public Schools starting next school year, which groups are not finding harmonious.

Saskatchewan Band Association CEO, Suzanne Gorman, said they’ve sent a letter to the Regina Board of Education with a clear message: “Please pause this, connect with your parents, connect with the community and the experts and use your band teachers to work on a solution that will actually be successful.”

Read more:

• Regina Public expands band program with new music hub at former Dieppe School
• Regina Public Schools approves band cuts, denies parent group appeal
• Regina Public Schools sees change rooms outcome as a positive

The concerns come after the Regina Public School Division announced the restructuring of the band program last month, which included mandatory band for grade 6 students starting next school year and a new music centre at the former Dieppe School, where grade 7 and 8 band students would be bussed to for classes.

Gorman felt there were still major questions about how the plan would work.

“It all sounds great, but people didn’t understand – that isn’t a band,” said Gorman.

“What it is, is an instrument introduction time. We’re not even sure what that means. We don’t even know what instruments that is, and we don’t know how it will be taught, like we have no information on how that would work.”

Gorman said they were not consulted on the changes to the band program prior to the announcement.

“When that announcement came out, everybody was surprised. Nobody had heard about where this was coming from. Nobody was involved in the development of it. So that’s a big concern.”

While the school division said the changes are set to make more students interested in band and help grow the band program, Gorman is worried it may have the opposite effect.

“I believe that they, in their hearts, are actually hoping what they do is positive and beneficial,” Gorman said. “We’re just sounding the alarm of the fact that we think some of those decisions were made without necessarily the best input or advice, and that there are ways to achieve their objectives without necessarily making such a radical shift.”

She suggested a better idea would be to introduce instruments earlier.

“Like a teaser or an opportunity for them to get to know about instruments and get some excitement in grade five would be a great feeder to recruiting them into grade six,” Gorman suggested. “Research shows that you start students in grade 5 or 6 for a reason … They’re more likely to be successful, to stay in the program longer, to remain with music throughout their school career.”

With grade 7 and 8 band students set to be bused to the former Dieppe School for band class once a week for an afternoon, Gorman said she’s also concerned about the loss of the area band structure.

“Right now, the elementary students see the high school students. They do concerts at the same time, there’s a bit of collegiality and a family that gets built between the elementary and the high school, and we don’t want to see that lost either.”

Ultimately, Gorman said the plan feels incomplete.

“It’s a very loosely sketched out plan without a lot of details,” she said. “If it’s a work in progress and you don’t have things all fleshed out, press pause for the launch in 2026 and work with your band teachers and the community to build a successful model that will achieve the results that they’re trying to do.”

They’re urging the division to slow down and make sure the plan strikes the right chord.

Back in February, the school division said currently, elementary band classes are often held in boot rooms, gyms, hallways – and even kitchens because there isn’t enough space.

“(The new music centre is) a place where all the music teachers are centered. The instruments are kept here. There will be cleaning equipment, etc. Instead of what I think is, right now, a little bit of a willy-nilly arrangement,” said Regina Public Division CEO, Mark Haarmann, during the announcement in February.

Currently, 1,700 kids are in the elementary band program, with Haarmann adding that only 41 per cent of Grade 6 students participate in band as the program is now, a number that drops to only 17 per cent by Grade 8.

Part of the issue, as Haarmann explained, is students are taken out of core subjects like math, language arts and science for band class.

“The current model is very disruptive and that’s one of the main reasons kids move on. I hear time and again, and we heard from our data that kids felt like missing a math lesson or missing a language lesson just became too much to catch up.”

Back in June last year, Regina Public Schools moved forward with cuts to the band program to deal with a nearly $2.7 million deficit. It came with a lot of pushback and concerns from parents and band associations in the province.

Program going ahead with new fee structure, regular band periods

In an emailed response from Regina Public Schools, communications supervisor, Scott McGregor, said the band program change taking effect in the 2026/27 school year came “following dialogue with educators in our system and our board of trustees.” He confirmed that the new music and band program will be proceeding, as well as the launch of the new MusicCentre@Dieppe.

“While we certainly appreciate that some individuals and/or organizations have concerns, it’s important to note that our division’s top priority is to our students.”

McGregor reaffirmed that about 60 per cent of students are leaving the current band program within two years.

“The updated band program brings music education to all students in grade 6, regardless of background or circumstance,” McGregor continued.

He said students will receive dedicated, scheduled time for music education, which will allow classroom teachers to adapt lesson plans around regular band periods, “eliminating the scenario where children would miss important literacy and numeracy teaching.”

The new program, too, will benefit the former Dieppe School with new life, using its spaces specific to music education.

Details for the coming school year are being finalized by “a team of experienced system leaders,” which will also include a new fee structure.

Grade 6 students will not be charged fees for the new band program, the statement read.

Saf Haq says she and about 40 others broke into song before midnight Tuesday when the legislature moved to vote on a budget-related bill that would result in a series of cuts to government programs, delaying the vote.

Instead, it was voted on Wednesday afternoon, without members of the public in the gallery. The Progressive Conservatives used their dominant majority to pass the appropriations act, which authorizes government spending included in the new budget.

Haq said she protested Tuesday because the cuts approved in this budget will hurt vulnerable Nova Scotians and the province's vibrant arts and culture scene.

"I'm concerned for the future of Nova Scotia … I love the arts, my partner is a filmmaker … I care about Indigenous sovereignty and African Nova Scotian rights and I'm pissed at how this government is going about this budgetary process," she said in an interview Wednesday.

The protesters' song begins: "it's OK to change your mind, show us your courage, leave this behind," referring to the controversial budget. "It's OK to change your mind, and you can join us, join us here any time."

The song was the latest in a series of demonstrations against the February budget over cuts to programs in arts and culture, museums and tourism, and for Mi'kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities.

Haq said that after about 15 minutes of singing late Tuesday night the speaker adjourned and the vote did not go ahead.

"We all sang this song that we all know because we were all at the rallies where we all learned it together. Singing is such an incredible tool of resistance because it's really hard to stop someone when they're just singing," Haq said.

The Speaker's office said in light of Tuesday's protests and "other security incidents throughout this sitting" the legislature will be closed to visitors for the remainder of the week. It will remain open to media, scheduled presenters, elected members and staff. The closure will be reviewed at the end of the week, the Speaker's office said Wednesday.

Speaker of the house Danielle Barkhouse told the legislature Wednesday she decided to close Province House to the public because MLAs and staff deserve a workplace "free from threats."

"Recently, there have been several incidents … both inside the building and outside, around the grounds and parking lot, where MLAs appear to have been targeted solely to frighten, threaten or intimidate them. This is unacceptable," she said.

"And last night, staff who make our work here possible, were understandably frightened in their workplace."

Halifax police said they were called Tuesday night at 11:35 p.m. by the Department of Justice to attend a demonstration that had formed at Province House. When the legislative session ended for the night, demonstrators blocked the exit and prevented vehicles from leaving, police said. One man who continued to block the exit was arrested for mischief and later released without charges, police said.

The Speaker said in addition to taking the "unusual" measure of closing the gallery to the public, she's requested more police and security within and surrounding Province House.

Haq said the closure is "cowardly," and that the demonstrators' concerns should be heard by their elected representatives.

"This shutdown further illustrates the chaos within this government.… The people are angry and deserve to be heard," she said.

NDP leader Claudia Chender said safety is important, but for herself and her caucus colleagues, "safety has never been an issue in this house."

Chender said she didn't see anything in the Tuesday protest that she'd consider frightening.

"I can't speak for staff...what we witnessed from the floor of the house was a gallery full of people breaking out into song. That did not feel dangerous to myself or my colleagues."

Chender slammed the government's move to vote on the appropriations act late at night while the premier is out of town, and called it a "travesty" that the budget-related act was passed Wednesday afternoon, still without the premier present.

Tim Houston is at an energy conference in Texas that began on Monday, and was scheduled to return Thursday.

Chender said "what's most telling is that we voted on a budget this morning without the premier or the finance minister in the house. It's a strange government that can't stand behind their budget enough to have either their premier or finance minister even be present for the vote."

Finance Minister John Lohr told reporters Wednesday he was absent from the vote because he was in a meeting.

"I will make sure I'm there at every future vote... Absolutely I support the budget," Lohr told reporters.

Interim Liberal leader Iain Rankin said Tuesday's attempt at a late-night vote tells him that government is not proud of this budget.

"Trying to pass a budget without the premier here, in the middle of the night, they don't want Nova Scotians to be watching what they're doing. And that backfired on them," he said, referring to the singing protest from the gallery.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2025.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press

Tamara Deverell won the Academy Award for production design along with Dartmouth set decorator Shane Vieau over the weekend for the pair's work on director Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.

Her win comes a few weeks after the province tabled a budget with more than $130-million in grant reductions, including the scrapping of millions of dollars for the arts and culture sector. After public backlash, Premier Tim Houston’s government reversed more than $50-million worth of cuts to programs impacting people with disabilities, African Nova Scotians and Indigenous groups, but reductions to arts programs remain in place.

Cape Breton-based Deverell said tourists flock to the island to go to concerts, attend festivals and see artisans at work, all of which boosts the economy.

“If you want to look at it economically, the tourist trade in our province is huge and we should take advantage of that and welcome visitors,” Deverell said Wednesday in an interview from Toronto, where flight delays have kept her for two days on her way home from the Oscars.

“And how else do you welcome visitors? By sharing your culture and your arts.”

Deverell said that part of the reason she and her husband moved from Toronto to the Inverness area eight years ago was due to Cape Breton’s arts and culture scene. She’s the co-chair of the Inverness County Centre for the Arts, which she says saw about a quarter of its core funding cut in the provincial budget. The organization has already cancelled a concert series and won’t be moving ahead with planned programming for youth and seniors.

Deverell said Cape Breton arts groups and non-profits are banding together to fight the cuts and find new funding sources, including from the federal government.

While Deverell can now say she’s an Oscar winner, she noted how she established her career after working on films that depended on government funding.

“I look at the young people today who want a career in the arts, maybe they want to go into film and television, maybe they want to go in theatre, maybe they're musicians, maybe they are artists, and they're not going to have the funding and the backing and the support that they need to have these careers,” she said.

Deverell spent countless hours toiling over the film’s central set, a massive laboratory perched atop an old Scottish stone tower, with a massive round window letting light in on a workshop full of ornate apparatus and a malformed body splayed out on the operating table. del Toro has said he wanted a handmade movie of epic scale. All the props, design and wardrobe were handcrafted.

One program to get the axe was the $700,000 fund to help Nova Scotia book publishers. In a statement, the government said publishers can still apply for support under the Creative Industries Fund. Along with publishers, it also supports fashion, screen, music and performing arts. Its budget was reduced by about $800,000 to $1.1 million in the budget.

“Publishers in Nova Scotia play an important role in telling our stories and sharing them with readers across the province and beyond,” the culture and tourism department said in a statement.

Deverell isn’t the only prominent Nova Scotian artist criticizing the government. Rachel Reid, the Nova Scotian author of the “Game Changers” series of novels which are the basis for the "Heated Rivalry" TV series has spoken out.

“Whether we are creating or consuming it, art is how we connect with others and find ourselves. It’s also how we represent Nova Scotia on the world stage,” she wrote in a social media post earlier this month.

“The proposed cuts would be devastating, and would drive even more talent out of the province. Please don’t do this.”

Heather Fegan, executive director of the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association, said the funding cuts won’t make much of a difference to the provincial budget, but they're devastating for the sector and will mean less books published by Nova Scotian authors. She said having high profile artists like Reid and Deverell take up the cause will hopefully help.

“We're seeing it on a global stage repeatedly, how folks from Nova Scotia have been successful and yet (Premier) Houston is ready just to obliterate it all by taking away the support, again, which is such a tiny drop in the bucket of the overall deficit. But the damage will be so, so great,” Fegan said in an interview.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2026.

- With files from the Associated Press.

Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press

Consumer Protection BC has reached a deal with StubHub Canada after a complaint and subsequent investigation into the company's ticket sales practices.

Under the agreement, StubHub will improve how it reveals ticketing information, including the face value of the ticket, its fees, service charges and refund guarantees.

A statement from Consumer Protection BC said those who bought Swift tickets through the company for the three Vancouver concerts in 2024 and sat in certain sections may be eligible for a refund if their tickets didn't disclose that their views were limited.

The company has agreed to contact eligible purchasers directly by May 1.

StubHub deputy general counsel John Lawrence says in a statement that while the company does not believe any laws were violated, it is "proactively offering eligible buyers a refund or credit" and recognizes the fans' disappointment.

"StubHub and Consumer Protection BC worked constructively and we are pleased their investigation has been resolved," Lawrence says.

British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma said she "paid a lot" to see one of Swift's concerts with her daughter.

Sharma said they did have a view.

"I can't even imagine that you spent a lot of money for your ticket, you went there to see Taylor Swift and it didn't work out," she told reporters at the legislature on Wednesday.

Louise Hartland, the director of public relations for Consumer Protection BC, said people buying tickets have the right to clear, accurate information about what they are purchasing and what it will cost before they buy.

“This agreement is about transparency and ensuring consumers can access refunds when the law requires it," she said in the statement.

Sharma said the StubHub agreement is timely, given that there are several large events coming to B.C., including FIFA World Cup matches.

B.C. brought in its Ticket Sales Act in 2021 and Sharma said she's always looking for ways to make the ticketing system more fair.

"Certainly, I think there will be a lot of people who would say our ticket sales system seems to be really hard on consumers."

She said the government wants the ticketing system improved.

"I think that there's something about the ticket sales and how they are that makes it really unachievable for a lot of people to go see that concert they love with their kid, to go watch a game, (or) to those things that bring them joy."

The agreement also includes StubHub making a $2,500 payment to the Consumer Advancement Fund and paying more than $6,000 in inspection costs to Consumer Protection BC.

The B.C. law requires that ticket sellers and ticketing platforms clearly disclose full costs before purchase, and if a consumer buys a ticket from a secondary platform operator, they may be entitled to a full refund — not just a credit — if a ticket does not match its description or other requirements set out in the Ticket Sales Act.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press

Clad in colourful regalia and intricate masks, the Dancers of Damelahamid perform an art form that was once outlawed in Canada.

Now, 75 years after the end of the potlatch ban that forbade Indigenous cultural and artistic expression, the group is among dozens of Indigenous performers taking part in a festival that celebrates their artistry through stories, song and dance.

The 19th annual Coastal Dance Festival opened at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster on Tuesday and continues at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver until Sunday, featuring performers from across B.C., as well as international artists from as far as Norway.

"A lot of the work just really comes from the hearts of the artists and the communities," said festival director Margaret Grenier, who is also the executive and artistic director for Dancers of Damelahamid.

From Tsimshian mask dancing to Sami yoiking — a form of traditional singing — Indigenous art is at the forefront of the festival.

Besides sharing their craft with audiences, the performers are also sustaining songs and dances that have been carried through generations.

The festival is "for the purpose of really expressing identity, expressing gratitude to the generations that worked really hard to revitalize these practices and the hope that we have for our young people to be able to carry it forward," Grenier said.

It's a family affair for many of the performers, some of whom grew up dancing in the festival as children and are now embarking on their own creative careers as adults.

One of them is Grenier's daughter, Raven Grenier, who started dancing with her mother's company at the age of six. Now 28, she dances, sings and composes songs for the group in the Gitxsan language.

She composed a song for a mountain goat transformation mask dance to be performed during the festival. Her father carved the mask and its inner part features a Chilkat weaving design, made using goat wool.

The masks and regalia worn by the dancers help bring the performances to life, she added.

"They carry a different presence, because there's all of that energy going into creating that work for that one specific thing," she said. "It really carries the performance and it really is a beautiful thing to be a part of."

Both women mentioned the potlatch ban when speaking about the importance of revitalizing Indigenous cultures through the festival. They said performing at the Museum of Anthropology — when many museums contain items collected from Indigenous communities without consent — is a way to reclaim the space.

Bringing their regalia, songs and stories into the museum is "part of the healing" that will allow the items within the museum to be "practised again and not just preserved," Margaret Grenier said.

"There's a lot of weighted energy there, but it's always so beautiful to see all of the different nations perform there and reclaim their strong living presence," Raven Grenier said, adding she wants to show audiences Indigenous cultures still thrive in the present.

Margaret Grenier said inviting dancers and singers from Northern B.C., Yukon and Norway is an opportunity for the Indigenous artists to learn from communities with similar histories and values.

"It becomes an opportunity for us to sort of step out from the isolation that could happen in these small pockets and bring us together and really nurture one another, by celebrating in what we've all worked really hard to bring forward in these practices," she said.

It's also an opportunity to connect with audiences through songs and stories, and carry those stories forward to the next generation, she said.

"You can feel that it's not just a gathering of people, it's a gathering of stories, it's a gathering of the spirit of all of what the stories carry."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2026.

Marissa Birnie, The Canadian Press

“I’m on the mend,” said Jack Semple in a video posted to Facebook.

He was taken to hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, after his back pain symptoms got worse.

Read more:

• VIDEO: Prince of Wales extension possible part of plans for Regina’s Arcola corridor
• Saskatchewan designer, jeweller see work featured at the 2026 Olympics in Italy
• Regina Police Service hiring 27 new officers with provincial money

“I’m learning to use my left side again,” he said. “My fingers work on my left hand, which I’m very excited about, and they’re very thrilled, because usually after surgery like this, your hand is dead, but my hand is alive, so that’s good.

“I’m learning how to walk, and I’ll be back grooving on the stage eventually.”

Semple’s wife Tara said the tumour was not cancerous, on Friday’s Greg Morgan Morning Show.

“This has been an absolute roller-coaster of emotions,” said Tara. “Unbelievable. Having brain surgery, and within an hour the surgery being done — or maybe it was two hours — he was talking.

“He was good. Unbelievable what can happen in science nowadays.”

Jack Semple is recovering from emergency brain surgery after having a tumour removed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. (Jack Semple/Facebook)

She ended the interview saying it was her goal to get Semple a guitar so he could play again.

Jack thanked everyone for their well wishes.

“It’s going to take a while, though it’s lots of hard work, but I really am overwhelmed by all the love and help and good wishes that I’m getting from everybody, family, friends, everybody who’s out there,” he said.

Read more:

• VIDEO: Prince of Wales extension possible part of plans for Regina’s Arcola corridor
• Saskatchewan designer, jeweller see work featured at the 2026 Olympics in Italy
• Regina Police Service hiring 27 new officers with provincial money

]]> https://www.cjme.com/2026/02/09/regina-musician-jack-semple-on-the-mend-after-brain-tumour-removed/feed/ 0 https://www.cjme.com/2026/02/02/in-the-news-today-frank-stronach-trial-ontario-nuclear-groundhog-day-grammy-wins/ https://www.cjme.com/2026/02/02/in-the-news-today-frank-stronach-trial-ontario-nuclear-groundhog-day-grammy-wins/#respond Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Syndicated Content 2026-02-02T09:15:08+00:00 http://syndication.thecanadianpress.com/rss/0a09a34d-ae6a-4024-8aee-ad044331f426/57b1ce1c-9d45-4dd4-8d03-a7e30c5bcfc3 Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed...

What to expect as businessman Frank Stronach stands trial on sexual assault charges

The man long touted as one of Canada's great success stories is set to stand trial in Toronto this week, as the first of two cases accusing Frank Stronach of sexual offences against several women over decades begins.

Stronach, the founder and former head of the auto parts giant Magna International, faces a dozen charges involving seven complainants whose identities are protected by a publication ban.

The allegations relate to incidents spanning the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

The renowned billionaire businessman, who is expected to face a separate trial in Newmarket, Ont., later this year, has denied all allegations against him.

Nuclear refurbishment done and under budget at Ontario's Darlington plant: minister

A nuclear refurbishment at the Darlington power plant is now complete and the unit is set to soon return to service.

Energy Minister Stephen Lecce is making the announcement today, saying the refurbishment is four months ahead of schedule and $150 million under budget.

The overall refurbishment budget was $12.8 billion.

Refurbishing the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station involved all four nuclear reactor units and extends the station's operating life to at least 2055.

Premier Doug Ford's government is leaning heavily into nuclear power as a way to meet the province's fast-growing electricity needs.

Groundhog Day 2026: Willie, Fred, but not Sam to make predictions on spring's arrival

One of Canada's most famous groundhogs will not be making a prediction on the arrival of spring today, due to a forecast that calls for yet another winter storm in her home province.

Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam and Fred la Marmotte were all set to emerge from their homes Monday, and according to legend, there will be six more weeks of winter if they see their shadows, and an early spring if they don't.

Fred la Marmotte in Quebec’s Gaspésie region is still set to go, as is Wiarton Willie in Bruce County, Ont., but the Nova Scotia government announced yesterday that due to poor weather in the forecast, Shubenacadie Sam's Groundhog Day event is cancelled.

Environment Canada had winter storm and snowfall warnings for most of northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton late Sunday, calling for up to 25 centimetres in some areas.

Thousands of Alberta government employees return to offices as hybrid work plan ends

Thousands of Alberta government workers are heading back to work in their offices full-time.

Sunday marked the official end of the province’s hybrid-work option, which was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 12,000 workers participated in hybrid arrangements allowing them to also work from home.

The province says circumstances have changed and it’s time to bring workers back to strengthen collaboration and service delivery.

Cirkut’s big night, Bieber’s bare return and calls against ICE define the 2026 Grammys

It was a night of magic for Canadian hitmaker Henry Walter, and one of disillusionment elsewhere, as the 2026 Grammys on Sunday saw several artists call out the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, laying bare a divided America — almost as starkly as Justin Bieber’s near-naked return to the stage.

Walter, better known as Cirkut, took home two trophies, including producer of the year and best dance pop recording for Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra."

The night also saw Bieber deliver a decidedly stripped-down performance, taking the Grammys stage for the first time in four years.

Bad Bunny was among the night's biggest winners, also taking home Album of the Year and Best Global Music Performance for “EoO.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2026.

The Canadian Press

Brandt refused to provide a definitive answer Tuesday when asked by reporters for a yes-or-no response to whether he believes Alberta should separate from Canada.

"I think that we have an environment right now where a lot of people in this country and in this province have very legitimate grievances, and that just goes without saying," he said.

"And really, it's not up to me to make political statements to try to get people to move one way or the other."

Speaking in Calgary at an event to promote Not In My City, an organization he founded to combat human trafficking, Brandt was asked about a Saturday post on his social media account that elicited questions about his view on separation.

The post shows a photo of him at a crosswalk with lyrics from his 2004 song "Alberta Bound" over top. A highlighted line reads, "Yeah, I've got independence in my veins."

Alberta separatists have been gathering signatures across the province to push for a referendum that would ask residents to vote on whether they agree the province should cease to be a part of Canada and become an independent state.

On Monday, at one of the many recent signing events, hundreds of people lined up in Calgary to ink their names on the petition for the referendum.

People voiced their concerns about Alberta's toxic relationship with Ottawa and said the province would be stronger as an independent state and the sole benefactor of its resource wealth.

Brandt said he was surprised by the public reaction to his post. Several comments derided him for potentially alluding to support the separatist movement.

Brandt said he recently finished on a cross-country tour and regularly played "Alberta Bound."

"I would talk to the audience about how I've been playing this song a little bit differently these days ... it's maybe a bit more like a hymn, maybe a little more reverently, especially in times like this," he said.

"I think what kind of a city and what kind a province and what kind of a country do I want this to be. And the room falls silent. They're looking around, they're waiting for the announcement, they're awkward, they're not sure what to do.

"And then I start to play, 'Sign said, 40 miles to Canada,' and the whole crowd starts to sing along. Isn't that a beautiful vision? That's where I stand."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.

Dayne Patterson, The Canadian Press