Nearly half the immigrant service organizations in the Greater Toronto Area are braced for program closures in the near future due to federal funding cuts that began in 2024.

A survey of 48 newcomer service agencies — conducted by the United Way Greater Toronto, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants and the City of Toronto — says 44 per cent of respondents expect to see program closures, while 56 per cent expect program disruptions due to declining funds.

Jessica Kwik, director of the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group, said many of the cuts are hitting higher level language training. Newcomers who lack this training can struggle to find work, she said.

“We’re seeing that erosion where if people aren’t able to get employment, there’s going to be income insufficiency around housing. And a lot of the people who come to settlement services are families with children,” Kwik told The Canadian Press.

“So you know it is a vulnerability that we may be seeing downstream in terms of those that may then have problems with keeping housing if they don’t have the income or employment.”

The Peel Newcomer Strategy Group connects newcomers with settlement service organizations that specialize in things like language training and help with finding work or housing.

Kwik said a “strong proportion” of people using settlement services in the GTA are refugees.

1:55
Toronto mayor criticizes feds over $5M offer for refugee shelter space, says not enough

Federal government data shows since April 2023, Ontario typically recorded the highest number of asylum claims each month, though Quebec occasionally receives more.

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Approximately 300,000 asylum claims are in the Immigration and Refugee Board’s backlog as of Dec. 31, 2025.

The United Way report says the cuts are coming from a three-year, $317.3 million reduction in the overall Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada budget that began in the 2024 fiscal year.

The report does not take into account other cuts announced in the 2025-26 federal budget. All federal departments have been told to find 15 per cent savings over the next three years.

The number of new arrivals coming to Canada grew significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic, when the government began a push to welcome upwards of 500,000 new permanent residents annually.

The government began reducing that target in 2024 and the latest immigration levels plan calls for 380,000 new permanent residents this year.

Settlement service organizations receive federal funding based on projected permanent resident arrivals in a given year. Fewer newcomers means smaller budgets.

Stephanie Procyk, research director for United Way Greater Toronto, said demand for settlement resources grew fast after 2020 but resources haven’t kept up.

“We know that demand has grown by 70 per cent while capacity has only grown by 40 per cent. And so we’re continuing to kind of crunch that capacity,” she said.

1:07
Miller calls on Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to provide ‘receipts’ for asylum seeker lodging

“So we’re in a moment, also, where there’s more budget reductions coming down the line and we really need to consider what’s happening on the ground and how this is playing out in communities when we’re making those decisions.”

Those decisions could involve layoffs. The survey found 68 per cent of surveyed agencies anticipate layoffs between now and 2028, and are collectively predicting the loss of about 310 jobs.

Kwik said losing language trainers is particularly troubling because it’s hard to find people who have the right combination of multiple languages and a social services background.

“It takes time for one to be trained and to develop the experience to work in social services. So it does mean that we’re losing a lot of that combination of skills when we start cutting back on the workforce,” she said.

Procyk said she still expects high demand for settlement services in the GTA despite the federal push to reduce the number of newcomers, and as the rate of asylum claims declines.

She said settlement agencies can expect to see growing wait times and more employee burnout as they try to provide services with fewer resources.

“The important part of this is that newcomers and immigrants are not going to get the critical services they need, Procyk said.

“They may be facing really long wait times. They may face not being able to access these critical programs, and so when the sector has all these constraints and barriers, it impacts people on the ground in a way that’s really connected to our health and well-being as a country.”

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

Calgary Transit’s downtown free fare zone will be the subject of an in-depth review, months after city council narrowly voted against its elimination.

Late Tuesday, Calgary city council voted unanimously in favour of a motion from councillors John Pantazopoulos and Andrew Yule, which asked for “a comprehensive review” of the downtown free fare zone, including the implications of eliminating it.

“There’s no predetermined conclusion on this report, we just need the data,” Yule told reporters. “This could make the free fare zone longer, it could be shorter, it’s hard to say unless we have the data to make those decisions.”

According to the motion, administration’s review will include analysis on the “operational, financial, ridership, and safety impacts” of reforming the downtown free fare zone, including the implications of establishing the area as a “fare paid zone.”

It comes just months after city council narrowly voted 8-7 against eliminating the free fare zone during budget deliberations, which was prompted by TD announcing it was pulling out of its sponsorship of the zone in late November.

“During last year’s budget, Coun. Yule and I voted differently on whether we need to eliminate the downtown free fare zone,” Pantazopoulos said to council. “But instead of staying in our corners and sulking, we sat down and asked ourselves a very simple question: what are we both trying to achieve?”

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The councillors argued changes in downtown activity, transit usage, safety concerns, and fare compliance warrant a review.

The review is expected to include analysis on fare revenue changes, enforcement and fare compliance, the potential for a tiered or alternative fare structure as well as cost implications for Calgary Transit.

According to David Cooper, principal at Leading Mobility, free fare zones are “becoming more unique,” with many being eliminated in recent years across North America.

“There’s not many examples anymore of free transit,” Cooper told Global News. “I think one of the challenges we have when it comes to transit is there’s still always a cost even if it’s provided for free within the downtown.”

Cooper said there’s “a lot of emotional attachment” to the free fare zone, which has been around in Calgary since 1979, when it was a pilot project on a bus route along 7 Avenue.

“We’re going to have a lot of opinions and insights on this and who it impacts differs depending on who you ask it,” he said.

“I think it will be one of the biggest conversations council will have this year when it comes to Calgary Transit.”

1:59
Calgary’s budget applauded, but ‘sustainability’ of spending questioned

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The motion calls for administration to gather feedback from transit users, including downtown employees, residents, students and visitors, as well as city partners, like the Calgary Downtown Association, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Calgary and Vibrant Communities Calgary.

An amendment from Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly added the Alpha House to the lengthy list of stakeholders, while an amendment from Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot saw the inclusion of transit peace officers, bylaw officers and the Calgary Police Service in the upcoming engagement.

“We need to involve the enforcement folks as well… to find out whether or not they think there would be an advantage to the elimination of the free fare zone,” Chabot told reporters.

However, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he isn’t in favour of eliminating the free fare zone, and has no concerns in doing due diligence with a review.

“Our free fare zone, if anything, I think it should be expanded,” Farkas told reporters. “We should be looking at ways, maybe even on game day, extending service to our new event centre, or even during (The Calgary Stampede) or cultural festivals and events.”

City administration’s review comes at the same time Calgary Transit is undertaking its own customer feedback survey on the free fare zone until March 8.

“We weren’t planning on coming up with alternatives to the free fare zone yet, but we wanted to have a sense of how it’s being used and why,” Calgary Transit director Sharon Fleming told city council.

The downtown free fare zone runs along the CTrain line along 7 Avenue between Downtown West/Kerby and City Hall/Bow Valley College stations.

City administration is expected to come back to council ahead of the summer with recommendations and “potential implementation pathways” for council to consider.

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Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his government will table a deficit budget next month, citing economic uncertainty across the country as the reason for increased spending.

Turbulent trade relations between Canada and the United States, along with ongoing tariffs in China and India, are among the reasons Moe cites for the province’s revenue challenges.

“We are in a very challenging time financially, both nationally and at the provincial level. Provincial, sub-national, and national governments are faced with choices that they are going to have to make,” said Moe, speaking to reporters Tuesday following a luncheon speech held by North Saskatoon Business Association (NSBA).

Moe points to British Columbia’s recently-tabled budget — one that projects a $13.3 billion deficit — as evidence of the economic pressures provinces are currently facing, but adds that Saskatchewan’s deficit won’t be as significant.

“I don’t think you’re going to see anything like that, whether it be in the existing budget or in next year’s budget,” he said.

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Raising taxes is not in the cards for the province, said Moe, adding that his government is taking an approach of protecting services instead.

“We are going to make the choice to protect Saskatchewan services, whether that’s health care, whether it’s community safety and investing in keeping our Saskatchewan communities and families safe, as well as education, highways and such,” he said.

A renewed focus on improving health care is also on the table, with Moe saying his government will look into innovations in how health care is provided rather than join the debate over whether it is delivered privately or publicly.

Moe said his government will look into virtual health care innovations so that “everyone in the province does have access to a primary health care provider.”

The province’s Opposition is blasting the government’s latest spending, saying the debt is growing uncontrollably.

“It’s difficult to say what to expect, because frankly I don’t trust this government’s ability to bring a real budget forward or to deliver the full financial picture of the province,” said Carla Beck, Saskatchewan Opposition leader.

Last year, the province budgeted for a $12-million surplus, but this spiralled into the red when the province reported a $427-million deficit in its mid-year budget update in November.

Earlier this month, the province approved $654.7 million in spending through executive orders. The Opposition criticized this spending last week, saying it pushes the province’s deficit close to $1 billion.

Moe would not say whether the budget is approaching a $1 billion deficit and defended these special warrants, saying they are widely used by governments and are not new.

“The province utilizes special warrants, the federal government utilizes special warrants, and then it’s accounted for each and every quarter,” he said.

“If it wasn’t accounted for in the quarter of the reports, then we’d have a problem, but it is each and every time.”

Saskatchewan’s spring legislative session kicks off on March 2, with the budget expected to be tabled on March 18.

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An early-morning armed robbery in Kelowna, B.C.’s, Rutland neighbourhood jolted residents awake Tuesday as officers descended on a McCurdy Road home believed to be connected to the crime.

Around 5 a.m., Kelowna RCMP say two individuals allegedly robbed the One Stop on Rutland Road North at gunpoint before fleeing on foot.

Cpl. Steven Lang said, “Officers arriving at the scene flooded the area and, with the assistance of a police K9 unit, determined there was a resident in the 300 block of McCurdy Road that is believed to be connected to the robbery.”

Police and members of the Emergency Response Team then moved in on 330 McCurdy Road, where 10 people were taken into custody.

“Of the 10 that were arrested, four of the individuals still are in police custody. No charges have been laid or recommended at this point,” Lang said.

Neighbour Martin Stairs described waking up to flashing lights and officers lining the street.

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“My wife woke me up and the whole street was covered in cop cars all over the place. They did have their guns drawn,” he said.

One of those arrested and later released was Chadwick Milnthorp, who rents the home.

“They arrested all of us in the household, not sure what reason,” he said.

2:16
Rutland urging increased police support

The incident marks the second major police action at the property in less than two weeks. On Feb. 12, RCMP and the Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at the same address.

“There was some items seized and persons identified. In terms of the charges or what comes of that, I can’t speak to at this point,” Lang said.

Milnthorp claims the property has been the subject of frequent visits from authorities.

“Between the RCMP and bylaw we’re looking at 32 or 33 times they’ve been here in the last nine months. For what reason, I guess we did have some loud music once in a while,” he said.

The property is partly owned by Kelowna city councillor Mohini Singh, who holds a quarter share. Singh said she issued the two tenants a 10-day eviction notice on Feb. 13 following the first raid and was unaware of the number of people frequenting the home.

“Since the first raid I’ve done everything I could to get rid of the tenants from there because it’s not fair. It’s not fair to the community, it’s not fair to the neighbours,” she said.

Singh has filed for an emergency eviction through the Residential Tenancy Branch and is pushing to have the tenants removed in the coming days.

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Urgency, panic and fear are all characteristics of grandparent scams.

“Which often causes people to have a blocked sense of reality. They don’t know what to do. They freeze,” Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) Const. Dani McKinnon said.

It’s a scheme that impersonates familiar or authoritative voices and can con seniors out of thousands of dollars. It’s also a pressing issue in Manitoba.

The Canadian Anti Fraud Centre found that Manitobans 60 and over reported losing nearly $350,000 in 2024.

“These are under-reported. We get 5-10 per cent of what we actually think is happening out there,” WPS Insp. Jennifer McKinnon said.

0:44
Northern Manitoba seniors targeted in ‘grandparent scam,’ RCMP say

Now, the Manitoba government, WPS and seniors support services group A & O are trying to combat this serious issue by launching a new campaign.

“Just Hang Up is aimed at at protecting older adults from financial and emotionally devastating outcomes related to prevalent phone scams,” Dani McKinnon said.

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The Manitoba government provided $134,000 from the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund to fund this campaign.

“When in doubt about a phone call, just hang up,” Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said.

Carmen Nedohin, past chair of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, says she gets up to six scam emails and calls a day.

“Because I’ve seen them so many times, can distinguish between what is a scam and what is reality, but I know that isn’t always the case,” Nedohin said.

Nedohin and fellow seniors advocate Connie Newman encourage families to use a safe word for scam prevention.

“We did it with kids going to school. If someone comes to pick you up, they have to have a code word. It’s the same thing for older adults,” Newman, who is the executive director of Manitoba Association of Senior Communities, said.

As for those who might have been contacted by a potential frauded?

“We encourage you to report, even if there is no financial loss,” Dani McKinnon said.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

As Canadians hold commemorations marking four years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Ukrainian woman living in Winnipeg is among the many marking this day.

Kristina Miroshnyk is originally from Sumy in eastern Ukraine, just 30 km from the Russian border.

In early 2022, she felt anxious over what was a looming possibility of a Russian invasion and was considering moving to another place in the country.

“Everyone said to me just calm down, everything will be all right, it’s the 21st century, no one will allow this to happen,” she told Global News this week from her home in Winnipeg.

Miroshnyk bought a ticket to Lviv, which is close to Poland, but on the day they were to leave they didn’t.

“The next morning I got a call at around, I don’t remember, 5:30 a.m., or 6 a.m. It was my friend who was panicking and she was like screaming, ‘It’s a war, the war has started.’”

She and her daughter fled to Poland where her husband worked, before leaving for Greece.

The family are just a few of the roughly 300,000 Ukrainians who arrived in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel.

Now, four years later as they watch the war continue to ravage their home, some Ukrainians in Canada say they’re still surprised they’re here.

5:12
Saskatoon resident looks back four years after fleeing Ukraine

“My parents are still back home in Ukraine and lots of my friends and my male friends, lots of them were drafted and now they’re fighting,” said Anastasiia Ravska, who also lives in Winnipeg.

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“I do what I can do, I’m trying to support them, I am always trying to donate something to them as much as I can.”

For many Ukrainians in the city, they’re working to get work permits extended or applying for permanent residency as their children are already established in schools.

R.F. Morrison School, where it’s estimated about half the students in most classes are Ukrainian-born, marked the four-year anniversary with an assembly. Poetry and commemorative pieces were a part of the ceremony.

One province over, a prayer service was held at St. Demetrius Church in Toronto for all Ukrainian children displaced or lost in the war.

“It’s been really stressful because around a year ago my father’s house was attacked, so I was really worried about him,” said Polina Zaitseva, a Ukrainian student at St. Demetrius Catholic School.

Principal Lily Hordienko said they have welcomed 185 students from Ukraine. That welcome has included more than just education.

“Basically from the moment they would enter we would give them toiletries, we would give them food, we would give them clothing, anything they would need,” said Hordienko.

“Basically we would try to help them knowing they had arrived with nothing and had no way of knowing how to help themselves.”

The ceremonies at both schools were just two of many happening from coast to coast.

In Saskatoon, a commemoration vigil was held in the chapel of St. Thomas More College.

3:39
‘Four years of unbroken resistance’: Ukraine marks 4-year anniversary of Russian invasion

“It’s sad that it’s becoming just a common occurrence every year, attending this vigil,” said Petro Zerko, a second-generation Ukrainian-Canadian.

“Obviously, we look forward to the end of this war, but it’s great that we still keep those that fought for the freedom in our memory, especially on a day like today.”

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress is also expected to hold a walk in Saskatoon later on Tuesday.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Governing Council Members of the Community of Democracies, which includes Canada, said it continues to stand in solidarity with Ukraine’s people and called on all the nations to exercise pressure on Russia to return the abducted Ukrainian children to their homeland and families.

It also said it reaffirmed the protection of children in armed conflict is “not optional, negotiable, or political.”

But as countries reaffirm their support, some Ukrainians in Canada say they worry people are forgetting what’s happening.

“People seem to be forgetting about the war, they don’t seem as interested anymore in discussing it,” said Kateryna Rudenko, who arrived in Halifax in 2022. “They seem to be more and more uncomfortable with sitting with our grief, witnessing our grief although the shellings only have been worse since 2022.

Rudenko, who arrived as a student just months after the war broke out, said she’d like people to educate themselves about Ukraine’s history so they have a better understanding of what its people are going through.

For those like Ravska, even as the years drag on, the feeling never disappears.

“It’s kind of playing peek-a-boo when you’re a child,” she said. “If you close your eyes, you may feel like you’re out of the room, but you’re still present and what is going on around you is still happening. That’s the kind of situation we are all put into.”

–with files from Global News’ Iris Dyck, Caryn Lieberman, Slavo Kutas, Grace Miller and Mitchell Bailey

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Its rebirth has been promised again and again, but the newest generation of politicians running the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough believe they will be the ones to give the abandoned Empress Theatre back to the neighbourhood.

The local administration is pledging to demolish and decontaminate the decrepit historic building, so that only the iconic art deco Egyptian-sculptured facades on Sherbrooke and Old Orchard are left standing.

The new space created will include an outdoor courtyard that can host movie nights and other community events. Once the demolition is done, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce is hoping to team up with private sector actors to create a whole new building behind the preserved facade.

They hope an eventual development will include cultural spaces and housing.

“Concretely, this first phase is something that we are capable of doing under our administration without any other partnerships,” explained borough mayor Stephanie Valenzuela.

Built in 1927, the Empress had been a movie theatre and a hub for burlesque shows before being abandoned and falling into disrepair. It never recovered after a 1992 fire. Years of neglect and water infiltration have rendered the interior unsalvageable; the borough budgeted about $10 million to gut the structure.

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“That will be the first step towards the full-fledged final project, which could take many more years, but we didn’t want to stay idle and with our arms crossed while we wait for this perfect project to come along,” explained Loyola district city councillor Alexandre Teodoresco.

Snowdon city councillor Sonny Moroz called the announcement a “promise kept for NDG residents.” Ensemble Montreal members Valenzuela, Teodoresco and Moroz pledged action on the site in their first 100 days following the 2025 municipal election, which saw their party gain a majority of council seats in the borough.

“It’s four or five administrations in a row that have been trying to eat this elephant in one bite and we believe that it takes a step-forward process in order to get to the finish line,” Moroz said.

Projet Montreal, who never succeeded in revitalizing the empress during eight years in power, wonders if the new approach will work.

“Would it have been better to wait, to get a full project that was both saving the outside walls and building behind?” wonders Projet Montreal city councillor Peter McQueen. He said he supports the idea of demolishing the building while preserving the iconic facade.

For local artist Scott MacLeod, many questions remain about a potential phase two.

“Is it social housing? Is it live workspaces for artists? Are there affordable rentals? This still remains to be seen,” said Macleod, who is part of a group called the Empress Cinema Collective.

Some feel just the demolition and courtyard space with possibility of development is a positive.

“I think any move forward is going to be a great move. It’s been an eyesore for too long,” said Clifford Schwartz, president of the Wheel Club.

“At least it’s a step forward. Make it more palatable for a developer to come in and say, ‘OK, this is something that’s doable.’”

The borough says it will start seeking a contractor for the demolition, in hopes the dismantlement of the building takes place next year. Their goal is for a showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show to take place in the new outdoor square in October 2027.

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Scrutiny over how OpenAI handled information about the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooter months before the deadly tragedy provides an opportunity for Canada to consider regulating artificial intelligence companies to inform police in similar scenarios, experts say.

The company behind ChatGPT confirmed last week it “proactively” identified and banned an account associated with Jesse Van Rootselaar in June 2025 for misusing the AI chatbot “in furtherance of violent activities.”

However, it did not inform police at that time because the activity did not meet the higher internal threshold of an “imminent” threat.

OpenAI ultimately contacted RCMP after police say 18-year-old Van Rootselaar killed eight people and wounded 25 others on Feb. 10, before taking her own life.

Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon summoned representatives to Ottawa on Tuesday to discuss the situation and the company’s safety practices.

Solomon told reporters Tuesday before the meeting that “all options are on the table when it comes to understanding what we can do about AI chatbots.”

Heritage Minister Marc Miller, whose ministry is working with Solomon’s to develop online safety legislation that would cover AI platforms, said the government is taking the time to get that bill right and wouldn’t tie it to what happened in Tumbler Ridge.

“I think there is the need to have legislation to make sure that platforms are behaving responsibly,” he said. “What that looks like is still to be determined, and I can’t discuss timelines with you on that.

“I think in this situation, there is legitimate thirst for easier answers, but I don’t think there are easy answers in this case, particularly with an open investigation. But … we need better answers than the ones we’ve gotten so far.”

5:24
AI concerns following Tumbler Ridge shooting

Canada’s privacy legislation says private companies “may” — not must — disclose personal information to authorities or another organization if they believe there is a risk of significant harm or that a law will be broken.

Any further decision-making is up to the company itself, leading to internal thresholds like OpenAI’s “imminent” threat identification.

“This is yet another sign that there is a risk with letting OpenAI and other AI developers decide for themselves what is an appropriate safety framework,” said Vincent Paquin, an assistant professor of psychiatry at McGill University who researches the relationship between digital technologies and the mental health of young people.

“Ultimately, ChatGPT is a commercial product. It’s not an approved health-care device. And so it is concerning to see that there are increasing amount of people turning to ChatGPT and other AI products for mental health support and for sensitive discussions about things going on in their lives, without having a clear understanding of the safety of those interactions and the safety mechanisms that are in place.”

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The revelations come as OpenAI and other AI chatbot makers face multiple lawsuits in the U.S. over allegations their platforms helped drive young people to suicide and self-harm.

OpenAI denies those allegations and says that its safety evaluations refuse most, if not all, requests for harmful content like hateful and violent rhetoric and advice, including suicidal ideation.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported OpenAI’s prior knowledge of Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT activity, said her posts “described scenarios involving gun violence over the course of several days,” according to people familiar with the matter.

The report said company employees were alarmed by the posts and wrestled with whether to alert police last summer, before the company opted not to.

Global News has not independently verified the details in the report.

The B.C. government said in a statement Saturday that OpenAI officials met with a government representative on Feb. 11 — the day after the shooting — for “a meeting scheduled weeks in advance” to discuss the possibility of opening OpenAI’s first Canadian office.

“OpenAI did not inform any member of government that they had potential evidence regarding the shootings in Tumbler Ridge,” the government said, but noted OpenAI requested contact information for the RCMP from the province on Feb. 12.

2:07
OpenAI summoned to Ottawa over Tumbler Ridge shooting

Canada’s privacy commissioner, Philippe Dufresne, has previously said not having a Canadian business office to contact makes it more difficult for his agency to investigate tech companies like TikTok.

Brian McQuinn, an associate professor at the University of Regina and co-director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Data, and Conflict, said the tech industry in general has deprioritized internal safety regulation ever since Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022, rebranding it as X.

“Basically (after he) fired all the teams doing that kind of work, the other (social media) companies sort of followed suit and realized they could get away with it, too,” he said. “So less staff overhead and fewer headaches being created by your own staff by letting you know things.

“If you don’t know, then you can’t be held responsible.”

Dufresne’s office has launched an investigation into Musk-owned xAI and its Grok chatbot, which is built into the X social media platform, over allegations it facilitated the spread of non-consensual sexualized deepfake images of women and children. Other companies and U.S. states are conducting similar probes.

Musk has criticized the investigations as attempts to stifle free speech and expression.

Sharon Bauer, a privacy lawyer and AI governance strategist based in Toronto, said it’s important for any future legislation or regulation to strike the “fine balance” between individual privacy with the duty to warn of potential threats.

She said the term “imminent” is key.

“That is a really important threshold, because anything lower than that threshold would mean that they would be notifying law enforcement of things that may end up stigmatizing people or creating false positives, which would of course harm those individuals,” she said.

At the same time, Bauer added, “anything too high would mean missing genuine threats, which may have been the case in this situation.”

“I’m hoping that we’ll get answers about this, if they documented their reasoning about why they didn’t contact law enforcement, and that’s going to be really important to analyze and figure out if they made that right decision,” she said.

2:30
Fresh questions about Tumbler Ridge tragedy

McQuinn said he also wants to see data about who has been kicked off AI chatbot and social media platforms for threatening to harm themselves or others, and whether there was any real world follow-up on those individuals.

“If the answer’s no, then they are just putting their heads in the sand,” he said.

“These companies (are worth) trillions of dollars, so the amount of money they spend on anything related to staffing and safety is negligible.”

He added that Canada’s forthcoming AI strategy needs to pair economic benefits and adoption strategies with robust safety protocols that answer these critical questions.

Paquin cited a recent California law, which requires large AI companies like OpenAI to report to the state any instances of their platforms being used for potentially “catastrophic” activities, as something Canada should model its own potential regulation after.

However, that law defines a catastrophic risk as something that would cause at least $1 billion in damage or more than 50 injuries or deaths.

The law has been praised by some AI companies like Anthropic for balancing public safety with allowing continued “innovation.”

“We should ask for more transparency and we should also think about a way of having an external oversight over those activities, because we cannot let the AI developers be their own judge, the judge of their own safety,” Paquin said.

—with files from Global’s Touria Izri

Indigenous leaders are calling for urgent government action after a series of fatal accidents on northern Ontario highways, which many have long complained are unsafe in brutal winter conditions.

Over just five days in the north, the Chiefs of Ontario said there were five serious incidents on northern highways, including a crash that killed two members of Constance Lake First Nation and one person from Naotkamegwanning First Nation.

“These tragedies are devastating for our families and our Nations,” Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict said in a statement.

“Our people rely on northern highways as lifelines for health care, education, work and supplies. When those roads are unsafe, it is our communities who pay the price.”

The group said the Canadian and Ontario governments need to take “serious action” to improve road safety in the north, including better highway infrastructure, higher licensing standards for truck drivers and more rigorous winter maintenance.

“The government needs to take serious action on improving the safety of highways in Northern Ontario,” Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said in a statement.

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“Their blatant disregard for the dangerous conditions that people are experiencing cannot continue, or more lives will be lost.”

Representatives of both the federal and provincial governments offered their condolences to those impacted by the string of crashes.

Our thoughts are with the families and communities impacted by the recent collisions in northern Ontario.

“To keep these vital routes reliable year-round, we uphold some of the highest winter maintenance standards in North America, with plows on the road within 30 minutes of a storm and more than 1,400 pieces of equipment working 24/7,” Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation wrote.

A federal spokesperson said they were committed to “strengthening road safety” and reducing accidents involving commercial vehicles.

“At the February 20, 2026 meeting of the Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety, ministers discussed road safety and reiterated their commitment to coordinated federal, provincial, and territorial action with improved enforcement, training and licensing,” they wrote.

“They agreed to act collaboratively against non-compliance with labour, tax and safety rules in the commercial trucking industry associated with the ‘Driver Inc.’ model, in which workers who should be treated as employees are being instead labelled as independent contractors.”

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Roughly 50 vehicles involved in multiple collisions on Highway 401: OPP

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