Weekly Roundup - October 9, 2026
Top Federal Stories
Defence Minister David McGuinty travelled to CFB Edmonton on Wednesday to make the federal case for Alberta's place in Confederation. With Premier Danielle Smith at his side, McGuinty announced $8 billion in ongoing federal military spending in the province, including $550 million to set up the western operating base for the Air Force's CC-33 Husky fleet. He described Confederation as a bargain each generation renews through what Canadians do for one another, especially in wartime, and called Alberta a model for ambitious building. Smith said the announced spending puts Alberta at the leading edge of air defence and acknowledged the province and Ottawa can, and should, work together.
On the topic of national unity, despite only winning 28 per cent of the popular vote the separatist Parti Québécois won 59 seats in Monday’s Quebec election, just five short of a majority. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Carney spoke with premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon about infrastructure funding and help for Quebec workers affected by U.S. tariffs. St-Pierre Plamondon told supporters in Montreal he intends to work with the Prime Minister when doing so benefits Quebecers. This win marks the first time since 2014 that the PQ have held power in Quebec. Despite the party’s staunch stance on independence, in August, St-Pierre Plamondon announced that his party would not hold a referendum on Quebec independence while Donald Trump remains president.
In Ottawa, Bill C-40, which would turn the Defence Investment Agency (DIA) into a standalone Crown corporation, was tabled on Tuesday. The agency has sat inside the procurement department since its creation last year, with a mandate to speed up purchasing as Canada works toward the NATO defence spending target of 5 per cent of GDP by 2035. Under Bill C-40, a CEO and board would run the DIA and report through a new cabinet post: the Associate Minister of National Defence for Procurement. Stephen Fuhr, the current secretary of state for defence procurement, is the presumed but unconfirmed pick.Christyn Cianfarani, who represents a group of Canadian defence contractors, welcomed the bill while Conservative defence critic James Bezan raised concerns about how the new Crown corporation would remain accountable to Parliament.
South of the border, Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers released an ad on Wednesday calling for an end to the tariff fight. The ad marks a shift from his earlier support for tariffs. Rogers is in a tight race with Democrat Abdul El-Sayed that could help decide Senate control in next month’s midterm election.
The Alberta government is restricting infill development in Edmonton and Calgary. Premier Smith announced Thursday that Edmonton will have three months to reverse its 2024 zoning overhaul which made it easier to build multiplexes across the city, and reinstate minimum parking requirements that were eliminated in 2020. Calgary, which has already repealed its blanket rezoning policy, will be required to maintain its previous low-density zoning rules while completing a broader land-use review. Both cities must also review their approaches to infill development, with Edmonton given 18 months to complete the process.
The province says the intervention responds to concerns about neighbourhood character, infrastructure pressures and the pace of development. However, the directive has not gone over well with municipal leaders. Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack called the decision “uninformed,” warning it would undermine housing affordability, increase property taxes and create uncertainty for developers. Alberta Municipalities President Dylan Bressey argued that the province should be focused on restoring municipal infrastructure funding rather than interfering in local decision-making. The most heated response came from Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas who posted a video on social media accusing the Premier of threatening his job if he doesn’t vote the way she wants.
Alberta’s separatist movement is under renewed scrutiny this week following a report by The Globe and Mail that alleges prominent independence advocates had offered the United States access to Alberta’s freshwater resources and oil and gas royalties in exchange for American support for separation. The article revealed new details about three meetings between Alberta separatists and U.S. State Department officials in Washington late last year. While Alberta Prosperity Project co-founder Dennis Modry reportedly described the offer to the newspaper, other separatist leaders have denied that water or resource royalties were discussed. Premier Danielle Smith responded Wednesday, calling the reported offer “absurd” and “ridiculous,” arguing separatists have no authority to make such commitments.
The controversy comes less than two weeks before Alberta’s October 19 referendum, which has seen unprecedented demand for mail-in ballots, with more than 652,000 ballot packages sent to voters. Despite Premier Smith’s assurance that the system is working as intended, Elections Alberta says roughly 3,000 of the 250,000 returned ballots contain errors.
Just three months after thousands of Albertans were transitioned from Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) to the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), the provincial government is reversing some measures following criticism from recipients and disability advocates. Launched in July, ADAP is intended to help people with disabilities find and keep jobs while continuing to receive financial support. However, changes to the programs also reduced benefits for some recipients, including couples where both partners receive disability assistance. Since August, those couples have received 88 per cent of their usual benefits, leaving some households hundreds of dollars short each month. This week, the province announced it will restore their full payments, reimburse money lost since August, and make it easier for people who moved to ADAP to return to AISH. While disability advocates welcomed the changes, they argue that significant problems remain with the program, including rules that could discourage recipients from seeking employment.
Top Ontario Stories
Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn paused Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) payments for all private career college students on October 6. The government said preliminary findings from a third-party audit under way since August identified a slew of concerns which have since been referred to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). The audit flagged common ownership among schools, unusually high concentrations of applications from the same locations, the involvement of immigration services firms and weak verification of enrolment and outcomes. Students at seven career colleges received about $385 million in OSAP grants in 2024-25, the same amount that went to students at all of Ontario’s publicly funded colleges, according to records obtained by The Canadian Press.
The pause on payments has no end date. Career Colleges Ontario said it supports the investigation but asked the province to restore loans for approved students attending in-person programs. The Minister’s office said it does not yet have “assurances from the audit team that the issues are not more widespread,” and said the government will introduce legislation this fall to make online-only career college programs ineligible for OSAP.
The announcement drew criticism from interim Liberal Leader John Fraser who called on Quinn to resign, and NDP colleges and universities critic Peggy Sattler said the government was “punishing every student in Ontario for their incompetence.” Court records show Career Colleges Ontario first warned the province about “suspicious” OSAP activity in January 2023.
In a sworn declaration, former Postmedia CEO Paul Godfrey is alleging that the Premier’s Office tied approval of an agreement between Keel Digital Solutions and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to Postmedia publishing a letter from Premier Doug Ford on the eve of the 2025 election. Keel, which is headed by Godfrey’s son, is a Skills Development Fund (SDF) recipient and provider of online mental health services for post-secondary students. The province is suing the company for $25.9 million, alleging it misled the government to obtain funding. Keel is countersuing for $100 million. With the Auditor General and the OPP involved in both the SDF and private colleges controversies, tighter eligibility, reporting and audit requirements provincially funded programs could be on the horizon.
The hotly contested Toronto mayoral election has narrowed to a two-horse race between Mayor Olivia Chow and Councillor Brad Bradford after former federal Conservative cabinet minister Chris Alexander dropped out on October 6. Polling from Mainstreet Research and Forum Research show Chow narrowly ahead. The two candidates offer starkly different visions for the city on hot button issues like affordable housing and bike lanes. While Chow is running on city-led housing construction, Bradford says the city should “create the conditions” for affordable housing rather than build it. Election day is October 26, 2026.
New West in the News
Keith McLaughlin on a New Era of Pipeline Politics
New West Partner Keith McLaughlin joined The Hub's Alberta Edge podcast to discuss how Trump-era pressure has produced a lasting shift in how Canadians see their natural resources, and that the next step is building major projects better, cheaper and faster.
Ian Brodie on Alberta’s Referendum Questions
New West Senior Advisor Dr. Ian Brodie joined CBC Calgary’s Eyeopener political panel to discuss the nine immigration and constitutional questions on Alberta’s referendum ballot. Ian warned of a potential “No to the Nine” outcome if voters use the referendum to send the government a message rather than consider each question individually
Michael Solberg on Private Investment in Pipelines
Last Friday, New West Partner Michael Solberg joined CBC’s Power & Politics to discuss the potential for private investment in new Canadian pipelines. Michael explained why he believes strong global demand for Canadian energy and a more favourable regulatory environment could attract private investors to major pipeline projects.
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