Avi Lewis is the new federal leader of the NDP, but the leaders of provincial counterparts in Alberta and Saskatchewan are making it clear they want no part of his policies.

Lewis won the leadership on the first ballot Sunday with 56 per cent of the vote, a decisive victory over four competitors.

But as Lewis begins his role, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck says she’s turning down his invitation to meet.

“The positions that you have taken when it comes to natural resource development are ideological and unrealistic,” Beck said in a letter released slightly more than an hour after Lewis’ election.

In her letter, Beck expressed concerns about previous statements by Lewis on issues like the fossil fuel sector, and said policies and positions Lewis has supported would risk $13.6 billion in economic activity for Saskatchewan.

“The NDP is the party of working people,” she wrote. “It’s impossible to support – and respect – working people without respecting the jobs they have, not the ones you think they should have.”

Beck said until Lewis reverses his stance on issues involving the province’s resource sectors, she won’t meet with him.

Lewis has previously criticized both the Liberal and Conservative governments, saying the spread of wildfires was due to a failure to limit fossil fuel emissions.

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He also recently said in an interview with The Canadian Press that Prime Minister Mark Carney had “thrown climate under the bus.”

During the leadership campaign, Lewis promised to slap an export tax on oil and gas shipped to the U.S. and to end all federal approvals for new pipelines.

8:03
Federal New Democrats gather in Winnipeg to choose new leader

Following his victory on the first ballot, Lewis said Sunday that he’s focused on party unity.

“This is a tremendous result. But even more important than the results of this leadership vote is the unity of our party,” Lewis said.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized Lewis over his policies and noted that his provincial party voted to make membership in the federal party optional.

“It is clear that the direction of the federal party under this new leader, someone who openly cheered for the defeat of the Alberta NDP government, is not in the interests of Alberta,” Nenshi wrote in a post on X.

Nenshi released his own energy policy on Friday, which includes expanding Trans Mountain pipeline capacity and revisiting projects like the Energy East pipeline.

“Albertans deserve federal leaders who understand the importance of Alberta and our essential role in the federation,” he added.

Not all provinces share the same opinion though, with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew saying he loved Lewis following the new leader’s first speech in the role and the mandate received.

Kinew said he acknowledged they may not agree on everything, but believed he and Lewis could do “big things together.”

“The big things are health care, education. Yeah, we can have debates, heated debates about any manner of other issues, but the values are there,” Kinew said. “The values are we’re fighting for the average person, we’re fighting for the people who don’t have a voice right now and that’s the most important thing.”

British Columbia Premier David Eby congratulated Lewis on his election, but was measured in his response.

“Our priority is lifting up working people and growing prosperity,” Eby wrote on X. “We will work with anyone and any federal leader who shares our priorities, and stand firm against those who put that progress at risk.”

Lewis has said he isn’t in a rush to enter the House of Commons, instead planning to start his leadership by strengthening the grassroots before seeking elected office.

–with files from The Canadian Press

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Avi Lewis has been named the new leader of the federal NDP, drawing to a close a six-month leadership campaign.

The new leader won on the first ballot, receiving 56 per cent of the total votes cast during the election, or 39,734 out of a possible 70,930.

“This is a tremendous result,” Lewis said in his first remarks following his victory. “But even more important than the results of this leadership vote is the unity of our party.”

While people in the room applauded Lewis, the result did not generate universal praise.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said in a post on X that Lewis becoming the federal leader was “not in the interests of Alberta.”

“Albertans deserve federal leaders who understand the importance of Alberta and our essential role in the federation,” Nenshi wrote.

The election of a new leader came months after former head of the party, Jagmeet Singh, said he would resign after the NDP’s overwhelming loss in the 2025 federal election.

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The party was reduced to seven seats in April 2025, but that number has dropped to six when Nunavut MP Lori Idlout crossed the floor to the Liberals earlier this month.

“If it isn’t already obvious, we are building a new foundation for our party and we are ready to come roaring back on the Canadian political stage,” Lewis said. “The NDP comeback starts now.”

Heather McPherson came in second place with 20,899 votes, with Tanille Johnston, Rob Ashton and Tony McQuail coming in third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Lewis went on to commend each of his fellow candidates, calling Johnston a “rising star” and saying McQuail reiterated the importance of changing the First Past the Post electoral system. He also said Ashton was the “real deal” and that workers were at the heart of the party while adding McPherson knows “how to win” and that she helps others win.

The NDP’s new leader went on to stress the party’s need to tackle issues Canadians are facing.

“Canadians are living on the edge, we’re under economic from the U.S. while Donald Trump stomps around the globe, grabbing foreign leaders and oil fields and starting wars he has no idea how to stop,” Lewis said. “At the kitchen table in Canada, there’s an even bigger crisis the everyday emergency of just trying to get by in an impossible economy.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated Lewis in a post on X, saying he would take a “collaborative approach.”

“I look forward to speaking about how we can work together to keep delivering for Canadians,” Carney wrote.

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Jenni Gibbons was always drawn to the stars. Now, the Calgary-born astronaut is set to take part in NASA’s Artemis II mission, which will send humans to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

“So much of our life is enabled by space,” Gibbons said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Gibbons is Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s backup. If all goes to plan, she won’t be on the rocket — but she will still perform a critical role in its launch and voyage through space.

NASA has targeted an April 1 launch for Artemis II, with a six-day launch window running through April 6.

The space agency attempted to send the four astronauts from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on a 10-day lunar fly-around in February, but the launch was delayed by hydrogen fuel leaks and helium flow problems.

If there are no issues next week, Hansen, 50, of London, Ont., will serve as the mission specialist during Artemis II and become the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit. He will be joined by veteran NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch.

Gibbons is assigned as the backup astronaut to ensure that Canada keeps its seat on the mission in the unlikely event that Hansen cannot fly, the Canadian Space Agency has said.

While Gibbons has dreamt of travelling to space since childhood, she said she’s close with Hansen and his family and is honoured to play a supporting role in the mission.

“I just want more than anything to see his dream actualized and see him fly in space on a successful mission,” she said.

6:36
Artemis II delayed: What’s grounding NASA’s next moon mission?

As an astronaut understudy, Gibbons has gone through years of the same training as those on the rocket. Ahead of next week’s launch, she must stay prepared and go into quarantine with the other astronauts.

In the days and hours before takeoff, Gibbons will also enter the capsule to ensure it’s ready to take the astronauts up.

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As the rocket circles the moon, Gibbons will serve as a voice link from Earth to space — part of the team coaching Hansen and the other astronauts on key mission objectives.

The team is keenly anticipating takeoff even as it focuses on executing the plan they’ve been working on for years, she said.

“The crew is ready. I’m really proud of the way that they’ve matured and prepared for this mission and the team is ready to support them too,” she said.

It will be a monumental moment for a former Prairies kid whose childhood explorations of the landscape at home made her aware of the limitless possibilities of the universe.

While everyone marvels at the night sky, few become astronauts. Gibbons said she had great role models and mentors growing up — people who showed her that nothing, not even outer space, was beyond her reach.

“I just knew that it was a possibility,” Gibbons said.

Her mom helped plant the seed by taking her to see legendary Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar speak.

She said she’s always been drawn to creative problem-solving and science. Blending those interests led her to engineering — she got a mechanical engineering degree from McGill before completing a PhD at Jesus College in Cambridge.

“When Canada announced they were recruiting astronauts, I just thought back to all of that curiosity and all of that exposure early on,” Gibbons said. “And I thought, ‘How cool would it be to be a part of this?’”

5:15
The science behind the Artemis II mission

She was selected by the Canadian Space Agency in 2017 at the age of 28 — just the third woman to join the ranks of Canadian astronaut recruits — and soon relocated to Houston for training.

Canada’s role in the upcoming moon mission is critical, Gibbons said. The country has many experts in tech fields that support space exploration, such as robotics.

Investing in these groundbreaking technologies pushes Canada’s space expertise forward but also has an economic impact by creating jobs and inspiring innovation, Gibbons said.

Space missions also help Canadians understand their own vast landscape better.

“Space exploration is fundamental and important for the whole world, but especially for Canada because we are such a huge nation, where so many of our natural resources and really the heartbeat of our landscape can only be viewed and taken from outer space,” she said. “So investing in space assets is particularly important for us.”

Gibbons said that, given the grim state of global geopolitics, Artemis II “is one shining example of what you can achieve when you collaborate and co-operate and have a shared mission.”

She said this mission will take humans farther from Earth than anyone has ever gone, and allow the astronauts to see parts of the moon never before seen up close by human eyes.

The team has been working with geologists who want the astronauts’ own descriptions of the colours and textures of the moon’s far side.

“They’re also really interested in the way that those features make us feel as humans and our reaction to them,” she said.

That very human sense of wonder connects the astronauts in space with the people watching on the ground, she said.

“How many people go out in their backyard and look at the moon and spend time staring at the features? Or maybe, if you’re lucky enough to have a telescope or binoculars, you can see a little bit more,” she said.

“It’s just a cool thing to know that the Artemis II crew will be doing the same thing.”

— With files from Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal

The City of Toronto has launched its third pothole repair blitz of the year as crews work to address intense road damage, according to Mayor Olivia Chow.

“This has been a brutal winter, and so far this year we have already filled 75,000 potholes,” Chow said in a news conference Saturday.

She said the city has increased its road repair budget by 34 per cent compared with 2022, with $6.2 million now allocated toward pothole repairs.

“We are filling 44 per cent more potholes since 2022 because we put in a lot more money,” Chow said.

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Despite the increased funding, Chow noted that crews have faced challenges due to inconsistent weather conditions.

“Right now, it is not at all stable. It’s -5 [C] one day and then 10 degrees,” she said, adding that crews were limited in February due to conditions.

The city says crews are not only filling potholes but also reshaping and preparing road surfaces to improve longer-term durability.

“Just fixing potholes isn’t enough,” Chow said. “We will accelerate the pothole fixes as the weather stabilizes.”

Residents are being encouraged to report potholes, as the city expands its use of artificial intelligence to identify and prioritize repairs.

“We have accelerated our AI program through 311 that can detect and identify [potholes] so we can send a crew,” Chow said.

The city also did this in 2025, after another harsh winter created rough driving conditions and potholes, although this year’s blitz remains one of the biggest ever.

— with files from Global News’ Lexy Benedict

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A historic home tied to former prime minister Joe Clark has been listed for sale in southern Alberta, offering buyers a rare opportunity to own a piece of Canadian political and local history.

The Clark Residence, located in the town of High River, was originally built in 1909 by newspaperman Charles Clark Sr., founder of the High River Times, according to a property listing on Realtor.ca

The property later became the boyhood home of Joe Clark, who served as Canada’s 16th prime minister from 1979 to 1980.

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The property has been recognized for its historical significance and was added to the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2007.

According to the listing, the three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom property sits on a large, mature lot and has been restored and updated in recent years to maintain its historic character while improving structural integrity and livability.

The home also features two full bathrooms on the upper level, noted as a relatively uncommon feature for a heritage property. It also has a private second-floor porch off the primary bedroom.

Its heritage value is tied not only to its association with the Clark family but also to its representation of middle-class domestic life in early 20th-century Alberta, according to the Historic Resources Management branch.

The listing describes the home as a rare opportunity to own a preserved residence where historical character and modern updates meet.

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It was supposed to be a joyful family reunion, but instead a British Columbia grandmother is stranded in China in a coma, her family unable to pay the hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring her home via air ambulance.

Her family says Lilia Avoutova, 78, who is of mixed Chinese and Ukrainian heritage, arrived in Kunming on March 4.

But she and her 79-year-old husband, Savout, both from Burnaby, B.C., never made it to Avoutova’s birthplace of Xinjiang, an autonomous territory in northwest China, after she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and stroke two days later.

Daughter Elena Lanteigne said her mother has been in an induced coma in a Kunming hospital since March 8.

“It was really tough, so the reunion never happened,” said a tearful Lanteigne, speaking from Kunming where she and her brother have been for about three weeks.

“It’s really tough to see your loved one in a hospital bed and intubated with all these instruments around them, and not knowing how they’re doing and if they’re going to survive and if they’re going to do well,” said Lanteigne, wiping away tears on a video call.

She said her mother had lived in China until she was about 10 when Avoutova’s father’s farm was confiscated by the government.

The family moved to Kazakhstan, where Avoutova married and had her children, before the family moved to Canada about 30 years ago.

Lanteigne said her mother had reconnected with her relatives in China in the past 10 years and was hoping to see them on what she expected to be her last visit to her hometown.

Communicating with doctors has been “extremely challenging” in China due to the language barriers, Lanteigne said, forcing them to rely on Google Translate to understand her mom’s conditions.

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She said her parents didn’t buy any travel medical insurance, and now the ICU in China costs about $1,000 per day, which has become a “heavy burden” for her.

Her retired parents live a “very frugal” life, and they are pretty much out of the money at this point, she said.

“My brother and I have had some savings, and we’ve been able to dip into those, but that’s also started to run out,” she added.

Lanteigne said it’s “extremely stressful” to think about finances, and they still need to figure out the big expense of bringing her mom home.

Lanteigne said they had got some quotes for getting a medical transport flight, which basically functions as an air ambulance equipped with a medical crew, so that they can bring her mom home right away, but the costs are about $400,000, which they can’t afford.

There is another option available — transporting her mom to Vancouver from Kunming by using stretcher service on a commercial airline, and the costs would be around $108,800.

But it’s riskier since Avoutova has a cerebral hemorrhage, and when the plane goes up to a high altitude, it can place pressure on the brain, making it “quite dangerous,” said Lanteigne.

Lanteigne said her mom’s family doctor suggested the best option right now is to wait at least a month or two, allowing the bleeding inside the body to reabsorb, which would make it safer for her to travel.

Lanteigne said she is clinging to the hope that her mom can leave the ICU soon and move to the rehabilitation unit, allowing them to prepare to take her home in the next couple of months.

She said her mom is one of those people who can make friends with anyone, and wherever she goes, people are naturally drawn to her.

“People want to talk to her, get to know her. She’s just extremely friendly,” said Lanteigne, adding that her grandchildren fondly called her babushka, meaning grandmother in Ukrainian.

When people would visit Avoutova at her home, she would serve tea and feed them.

“If she doesn’t have anything in her house, which is very rare, she will run to the store, and she will find something in her cupboards,” said Lanteigne.

Although the past three weeks have been tough, Lanteigne said they did have some promising news days ago — her mom briefly opened her eyes and was able to move her hand a little bit.

“Lately, I’ve been talking to her about people who’ve been reaching out, and just so that she knows that people are thinking about her. People are aware of who she is, and there are people who want to help,” said Lanteigne.

Avoutova is also a grandmother of four grandchildren, and Lanteigne said she has been playing audio and video recordings sent by her grandkids next to her bed, telling her that they can’t wait to see their beloved “babushka.”

Lanteigne said her mom showed her what kindness and compassion are, spending her life caring for others, and now she must find a way to bring her home, no matter how difficult the process would be.

The journey isn’t easy, but Lanteigne said she was touched by the overwhelming response she got from Canadians through an online fundraising page.

“My friend suggested it, and I was like, it seems really awkward, asking people for money, asking strangers for help.”

But the GoFundMe page has raised more than $16,000 as of Saturday, almost 70 per cent of the goal.

“I’m just blown away. I’m really shocked, so surprised by the sheer volume of the people who have come out to help,” said Lanteigne.

“And I really appreciate that. I think it’s just been incredible, and it just shows the incredible human spirit that people have for each other. That’s so heartwarming, I can’t even put it into words. It’s been amazing to see that.”