From the coalfields of northern England to the Arctic snows and the steaming jungles of Brazil, diamond hunter and scholar Graham Pearson has carved a name for himself that now lives on in rock.

Pearson, a mantle geochemist with the University of Alberta in Edmonton, has had a new mineral – Grahampearsonite — approved by the International Mineralogical Association.

It recognizes a lifetime of work on diamonds, including his work in Brazil where he and a team made discoveries over a decade ago that helped explain, through deep-mine diamonds the composition and water content of the Earth’s deep mantle.

“The most lasting legacy of our work as scientists is really the data we produce … but those ideas get modified,” Pearson said in a recent interview.

“So if you are lucky enough to have a mineral named after you, that’s not going to change.

“(And) we’re going to run out of new minerals soon. So it’s very humbling to think that one of those minerals found is named after me.”

Grahampearsonite is chemically known as calcium pyrophosphate, which can be found in toothpaste abrasive.

But Grahampearsonite is the real deal — discovered inside a diamond that crystallized at depths greated than 300 kilometres below the Earth’s surface in Brazil’s Juina region.

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It got its official name in December.

“It might be arcane, but it’s really beautiful,” he said, as he points at a diagram of Grahampearsonite, which is made out of calcium and diphosphorus. The diagram shows oxygen flowing between the chemicals.

“Only natural-occurring minerals can be named (after a person),” Pearson said.

And someone has to discover it, put it in a huge amount of work to characterize it, justify its namesake and then get it approved by the International Mineralogical Association.

“The association decides whether what (researchers have) done is good enough and solid enough to warrant the name of a new mineral,” Pearson said.

Pearson is a trailblazer in diamond research.

In addition to mapping the history of the Earth’s mantle, Pearson has developed new techniques for geochemical analysis and pioneered methods for dating minute geological samples.

Born in the United Kingdom, he was brought up in an English mining town called Pontefract. “I’ve been surrounded by the products of mining,” he said.

And similar to the formation of diamonds, he said his love for the mineral was also a slow burn. His PhD adviser, who was researching a rare graphite mineral from Morocco that used to be a diamond, piqued his interest.

“That got me into the world of diamonds and studying the deep Earth,” he said.

In 2010, he moved to Canada to work for the University of Alberta. He established the world-class Arctic Resources Geochemistry Laboratory.

He continues to research minerals and diamonds in the Arctic.

He said ongoing mineral discovery is important.

“It’s hard to predict what applications some of these synthetic minerals have until you discover them,” he said.

“And I’m a natural scientist and something made synthetically just does not hold the same allure. All the story it tells is that someone put these elements together in a lab and cooked them.”

He said most people like the appearance of diamonds because they sparkle, but said there’s a lot more to them.

“It’s capable of trapping residual pressures inside it that no other mineral is capable of doing,” he said. “That’s what gives it the ability to retain these pieces of the deep Earth … Those elements are also able to tell us amazing things about plate tectonic cycles.”

He said advancement in microscope technology has also made it easier to identify new minerals and humanity will eventually discovered all the minerals Earth has to offer.

We’re about halfway there.

“About 4,800 minerals have been discovered,” he said.

“There’s about another 4,000 probably waiting to be discovered.”

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

Canadians will be checking their bank accounts over the next few weeks hoping for a tax refund, but the spring bump is no longer just a bonus for many — it’s a financial lifeline, data shows.

Canada’s tax filing season is officially underway, with the tax filing deadline set at April 30.

An EQ Bank survey released last week shows more than one-third (36 per cent) of Canadians say they are relying on their tax refund more this year than last year, with the figure jumping to more than four in 10 (42 per cent) among younger Canadians aged 18-34.

Women (41 per cent) are more likely than men (32 per cent) to say they are relying on their refund for expenses.

“Canadians are using their refunds to reduce debt, build savings, and cover essential costs, with very little appetite for discretionary spending, like travel or dining,” said Dan Broten, senior vice-president and head of EQ Bank.

0:52
Tax season is here

The data shows that younger Canadians are more sensitive to the cost of living crisis than the general population, Broten added.

“This is generally a life stage where many are taking on new financial obligations — from housing costs to daycare expenses — often without the same financial cushion as older cohorts,” he said.

“To us, it shows just how much every dollar matters right now,” Borten said.

Younger Canadians are facing an uphill battle when it comes to building wealth, said Justin Leon, financial adviser at Wealthsimple.

“When a once-a-year tax refund becomes the moment you finally catch your breath, that’s a signal that the gap between income and expenses has become structural, not temporary,” Leon said.

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Around 28 per cent of respondents said they used their tax refunds to pay down their debt, with 22 per cent saying they used it to cover weekly expenses. Another 28 per cent said they contributed to a registered savings plan, like an RRSP or a TFSA.

Only nine per cent said they plan to use their tax refund on non-essential purchases such as travel, dining out or entertainment.

“A lot Canadians rely on that tax refund as a way to kind of buoy up their finances and just get a bit more breathing room. The problem is it doesn’t last,” said Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy, CEO of not-for-profit credit counselling agency Money Mentors.

5:33
Time to get ready for 2026 tax season

It’s helpful to think ahead of time how you’re going to spend your tax refund, some financial advisors say.

“There’s no single formula that works for everyone, but a good starting framework is to think in thirds,” Leon said.

He recommends splitting your tax refund into three piles — one for paying down high interest debt, like credit cards, another for an emergency fund, and a third for a longer-term goal like putting it in a TFSA or RRSP.

“The order matters, though — high-interest debt almost always wins first, because the interest you’re paying is likely higher than any return you’d earn investing,” he added.

Oleksy recommends something called the “40-40-20” rule.

“Let’s say your refund is $1,000. We take 40 per cent, so $400, and we put it automatically into savings. You’ve got to pay yourself first. Take another 40 per cent, another $400, and put it onto debt and give yourself a bit of breathing room,” she said.

“And then, because we still have to live, take that last 20 per cent, or $200, and go have fun,” she added.

6:26
Don’t let scammers fool you this tax season

It may seem like a few hundred dollars from your tax fund may not go very far when it comes to building financial stability, but it goes “further than most people think,” Leon said.

“The earlier you start, the more compounding does the heavy lifting for you,” he said.

Financial advisers can often give you advice on how you can invest the money in your TFSA or RRSP, compounding it over time instead of just letting it sit idle.

“To put it concretely, $500 invested today in a diversified portfolio at a modest average return, left alone for 30 years, could grow substantially — without you ever adding another cent. Add regular contributions on top of that, and the picture changes dramatically,” he said.

He also recommends setting up automatic payments, even if it’s one as small as $25 a month.

“When investing happens automatically, you stop seeing it as a decision and it just becomes part of your financial rhythm,” he said.

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April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, starting Autism Awareness Month.

“The stats are currently that there’s at least one in 50 children in Canada that are on the autism spectrum and more recent data suggests that it’s even more prevalent than that, so it affects all of us,” said Julain Tomlinson, CEO of Autism Services of Saskatoon.

Systems are designed for neurotypical people, bringing challenges for people with sensory issues.

“Being able to navigate a world that’s not really designed for neurodiverse folks, kind of an exploration process from employment, housing, and navigating the system,” said Aiden Young, a Person-Centred Consultant for Inclusion Saskatchewan.

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Young says there are many misconceptions about autism, especially on social media.

“There is a misconception that having a breakdown or nervous breakdown is a part of autism spectrum disorder and that is actually not really capturing the whole picture,” he said. “People with autism (are) not being rude, they are simply being overstimulated.”

Tomlinson says Saskatoon has done great work around raising awareness and inclusion, but more work needs to be done.

“We need to create more inclusive workplaces, we need to be able to support our schools, they’re supporting children with autism. There’s a whole variety of things that we need to be doing.”

Young says talking to people on the spectrum is a great way to expand understanding.

“Take a step into the community and see all the diverse people out there and… going into a space where people with autism tend to connect and being able to connect with those folks.”

Throughout the month, Stacked Pancake House in Saskatoon will be donating $2 of every meal to Autism Services.

Watch above for more on what this day means for the autistic community and how neurotypical people can better educate themselves.

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The beloved Saskatoon attraction, Prairie Lily riverboat, will once again sail down the South Saskatchewan River with a new owner at the wheel.

Longtime Saskatoon resident Stephanie Simonot and her family are taking over from original owners Mike and Joan Steckhan.

“I didn’t want to see it go. I felt it was really important to try to put something together so that we can continue to have the Prairie Lily and continue to see it sailing up and down the South Saskatchewan,” said new owner of the Prairie Lily Stephanie Simonot.

Simonot will be sailing the beloved Saskatoon riverboat into its next chapter, crewed by her family to continue the legacy of the former owners.

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“The smile on my face tells the whole story. Captain Mike and I are very excited, very pleased that somebody wanted to continue the operation, and we’re really thankful that Stephanie stepped forward because she’s the right person to own this boat, and she’s got the right family to work with,” said Joan.

Simonot’s nephew, Sean Stevens, has been training with Captain Mike Steckhans to gain his captain’s licence.

“Never did I imagine that I’d be training to captain a boat, but thankfully, my aunt called me one day and she asked about whether or not I’d be willing to do it, and at that moment I said yes, absolutely,” said Stevens.

The new crew is expected to set sail this year with higher water levels from a record high snowpack.

“The big thing is that when those Rocky Mountains boom, that’s when you get your big flush and this has not happened in years,” said Cpt. Mike Steckhan.

The Steckhans and their crew will be on board to help Simonot on her maiden voyage while her family finishes their training.

They are looking forward to sailing one last season following last season’s low water levels leaving the ship docked.

“It’s good to know that we can provide the training and then when we do disappear into the sunset, as you say, the people that are going to carry on will be well trained and qualified,” said Capt. Steckan.

They will have the chance to enjoy the service they have provided since founding the Prairie Lily in 2012.

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In the midst of the trees along Trepanier Creek just above Peachland, a squatter encampment has been ballooning in size over the past year.

“It’s just getting out of control,” said Julie Gette, who lives in the area. “I think we’ve counted over 37 people up there right now,” along with 20 or so of their RV trailers and numerous tents and tarp-covered structures.

The dwellers have hauled in furniture and all kinds of equipment onto the site, which is in the Upper Trepanier Bench area.

Some of the squatters have hoses appearing to be drawing water from the creek.

There are boats and vehicles propped up on jack stands and trailers full of garbage along with piles of car tires.

“It’s gotten really dirty and gross,” said Kyle Gette, another area resident.

It’s raising some serious concerns, including potential wastewater and sewage contamination in what local signage says is a sensitive watershed area.

“There’s lots of our neighbours that do feed off that creek so it is concerning,” Julie Gette said. “We have a lot of neighbours now that will be getting their well tested.”

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Residents who live in the area are also concerned about the increased risk of wildfire.

“We’re not allowed to put a wood stove in our house but they all have makeshift wood stoves coming out of their trailers. It’s a concern,” said Kyle Gette.

“We live in fire country. We’re in a high risk fire area.”

Frustrated residents want the site, which is on provincial Crown land, cleaned up.

They have been calling on various levels of government and agencies to act, but they say what they have been getting is a whole lot of jurisdictional finger-pointing.

“Everybody’s wiping their hands clean of it and it doesn’t matter where we turn or where we go. They’re like, it’s not our responsibility, it’s somebody else’s responsibility, ” said an area resident, who wished to remain anonymous.

2:15
Okanagan group plans a major clean-up of a large squatter camp in the backcountry near Okanagan Falls.

Late Thursday, the provincial government responded to a Global News request for information.

It stated in part, “The Natural Resource Officer Service (NROS) is aware of the individuals on Crown land near Trepanier Creek.”

It added that the “NROS has been informed that the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction has plans to attend the site in the next month to meet with people and discuss additional supports or services that may be provided.”

“I know it’s hard times and so, like, we can’t be too hard on people but at the same time, I definitely don’t want to see this situation escalating,” said the area resident who did not want to be identified.

People in B.C. are allowed to camp on Crown land in one location but only for up to 14 days.

2:12
Frustration over Penticton homeless encampment

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The Conservative critic for Indigenous Services is adding his voice to calls for Prime Minister Mark Carney to apologize to Grassy Narrows First Nation after he said he could “outlast” a protester raising concerns about mercury poisoning in her community.

Conservative MP Billy Morin told The Canadian Press Carney “laughs at First Nations’ frustrations over the Liberals failing to keep their promises,” and that his remark was more arrogant than a similar quip former prime minister Justin Trudeau made to a Grassy Narrows demonstrator in 2019.

Chrissy Isaacs, a Grassy Narrows First Nation woman suffering from mercury poisoning, was in Toronto on Monday to demand compensation from the provincial government for mercury contamination in her community.

The Dryden Paper Mill released thousands of kilograms of mercury into Grassy Narrows’ river system from the 1960s to the 1970s. It’s widely considered to be one of the country’s worst environmental disasters and community members are still dealing with the fallout today.

Isaacs and a group of community members and their supporters attended a news conference Carney held on Monday with Ontario Premier Doug Ford to announce new funding for housing. She and the other protesters could be heard chanting and shouting in the background about the mercury contamination.

“I can outlast her,” Carney said, laughing briefly along with Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a media statement Wednesday Carney could not hear what the demonstrators were saying and that members of his staff spoke to the demonstrators to hear their concerns. It’s not clear if the prime minister knew why the protesters were there when he made the remarks.

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PMO spokesperson Audrey Champoux said Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty is “in contact with Grassy Narrows leadership to continue progress on critical projects ranging from a new health centre, housing and a mercury care home that will help ensure those suffering from mercury poisoning have the care they need, close to home.”

Former prime minister Justin Trudeau made similar remarks after a protester who supported Grassy Narrows disrupted a 2019 Liberal party fundraiser.

When the woman interrupted the fundraiser to raise concerns about the “mercury crisis” and the suffering of community members, Trudeau thanked her for her “donation.”

He later apologized, saying he “lacked respect towards them.”

The chiefs of Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations say Carney should do the same.

“Shame on you, prime minister. You’re making a joke of my people,” Grassy Narrows Chief Sherry Ackabee told The Canadian Press Wednesday.

NDP MP Leah Gazan also called on Carney to apologize. In a media statement issued Wednesday, she said she was “disgusted” by Carney’s conduct.

“Is the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples not in the national interest? Is the voice of a woman living with mercury poisoning not worthy of respect? Is the protection of lands and waters not fundamental to who we are as a country?” she wrote.

“Grassy Narrows deserves justice. It deserves clean water. It deserves full accountability from governments that have failed for far too long to uphold their obligations.”

Grassy Narrows is located some 150 kilometres from Dryden, Ont., close to the Ontario-Manitoba border. Wabaseemoong Independent Nation is also nearby.

The Dryden Paper Mill dumped 9,000 kilograms of mercury into the English-Wabigoon River system. The mill stopped using mercury in its industrial process in the 1970s, but mercury levels downstream from the plant haven’t decreased significantly since the 1980s.

A 2024 study from Western University found emissions from the mill, including sulphate, continue to wreak havoc on the community by generating methylmercury.

The report found levels of methylmercury — the most toxic form of mercury — in the Wabigoon River’s fish may be twice as high as they would have been without the mill discharge.

One study estimated that 90 per cent of the Grassy Narrows population suffers from some degree of mercury poisoning. The heavy metal can be passed from mothers to babies they carry, making it a problem that spans generations.

Mercury poisoning can cause neurotoxicity and damage peoples’ nervous systems, causing premature deaths. Children and babies are most at risk.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said in a media statement Thursday Carney’s remarks “were shameful.”

“What continues to happen to the people of Grassy Narrows First Nations and Wabaseemoong Independent Nations is devastating, and to turn the decades of neglect and people’s lives into a punchline is shameful,” she wrote.

“The community and rights holders have been asking government after government to listen to their concerns and take this crisis seriously. I am urging both the Premier and Prime Minister to start taking their responsibility towards reconciliation seriously.”

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

The Alberta government has introduced legislation to ensure children and young teens won’t be able to access sexually graphic images in books at public libraries.

Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams, at a news conference, stressed they will not ban books. He held up a sexually explicit example of the graphic images they seek to restrict.

“We will require that they are put behind a counter in a place that children cannot find them,” Williams said Thursday after tabling the bill in the house.

“When a family walks into a public library, they should feel confident that appropriate safeguards are in place, that their children will feel comfortable there,” he added.

“It’s a reasonable expectation to balance the needs of the family along with the ability for libraries to continue offering services.”

The bill looks at steps to make sure children ages 15 and under can’t access visual depictions of sex. Options include having such material controlled by library staff or put in separate areas.

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Premier Danielle Smith’s government previously made rule changes to ban graphic sexual material in school libraries, resulting in some books being pulled from shelves.

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi mocked Williams’ bill.

“This government with its $9.4-billion deficit, its inability to spend any money correctly, is now building a team of library inspectors,” Nenshi told reporters at the legislature.

“Can you imagine? What do they wear? What are their uniforms? Do they read every book? Are they librarians?

“This is insanity, and it’s taking away the ability of people to make their own decisions.

“This government doesn’t believe in human rights,” he added. “It believes in dictating what people read, what people see, what people think.”

In Calgary, Mayor Jeromy Farkas told reporters, “We’re still reviewing the exact legislation and what the impacts would be.

He added, “My understanding is the intent, at least from the various conversations I’ve had with ministers as well as public statements, was this was not intended to capture standalone libraries and that municipal autonomy would be respected.”

The library changes are one part of the bill. It also proposes changes to create a provincewide councillor accountability framework the includes enforceable standards of conduct and third-party investigations for serious misconduct.

It will also require municipalities to publicly disclose salaries above a specified threshold.

Farkas said he is happy to give the bill his “endorsement” especially on accountability measures and code of conduct.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press