Weekly Roundup - February 13, 2026
Top Federal Stories
The nation’s attention turned sharply to northeastern British Columbia this week after a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School left 9 people dead and 25 wounded. Prime Minister Carney cancelled a planned trip to the Munich Security Conference, intending to visit a vigil alongside other party leaders and ordering flags to be lowered to half-mast.
In the House of Commons, Bill C-19 passed on Thursday in an unusually swift order. The legislation expands the GST rebate by 25 per cent over five years for low-income Canadians, with a one-time top-up equal to half the annual total coming no later than June. The bill moved quickly in part due to Conservative cooperation, with CPC MPs backing a motion to expedite its progress through the House. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates the credit, renamed the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, will cost $12.4 billion over five years and reach more than 12 million Canadians.
The budget implementation bill proved more contentious. A proposed amendment to the Red Tape Reduction Act would give ministers authority to grant temporary exemptions from certain laws to encourage innovation, competitiveness, or economic growth. Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer offered to help pass the bill if those provisions were removed, calling them an invitation for ministers to circumvent the law without parliamentary oversight. Finance Minister Champagne defended the measure as comparable to regulatory policies found in other G7 countries, but says he is willing to work with the opposition to refine the language.
Meanwhile, the government’s anti-hate bill, C-9, remains stalled in committee. Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the Liberals are willing to make changes around a Bloc Québécois amendment that would remove the religious belief exemption from hate speech provisions. The Bloc has previously pushed to eliminate the religious exemption, arguing it can be exploited to justify harmful practices, including homophobia and antisemitism. The CPC signalled they would restart their filibuster of the bill, and the committee meeting scheduled for Monday was ultimately cancelled.
Looking beyond Parliament Hill, the government revealed a target of 2030 to bring New Brunswick’s Sisson tungsten and molybdenum mine into production, with a final investment decision potentially coming next year. The project has regulatory approvals and some Indigenous support, but has been stalled for nearly a decade by low global prices driven by cheaper Chinese supply. Proponent Northcliff Resources recently received US$15 million from the U.S. Defense Production Act and C$8.2 million from Ottawa to begin pre-construction work. Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson shared the timeline with a House committee, though plans for a G7 critical minerals buyers’ club, which could help stabilize prices, has not been formally announced.
Elsewhere, the government’s Toronto-to-Quebec City high-speed rail project encountered a practical challenge: Canada does not currently manufacture rail-grade steel. Alto, the Crown corporation overseeing the line, has initiated outreach to the domestic steel industry to assess capacity, but the Liberal co-chair of the All-Party Steel Caucus acknowledged this will require building new capabilities, with the project expected to require over 4,000 kilometres of specialized track. Despite increasing noise around Alberta’s independence movement, most Albertans still lean toward staying in Canada. A survey released by the Angus Reid Institute this week found that about two-thirds of respondents would either vote to remain, or would lean that way if a referendum were held today. Only a small minority say they are firmly committed to separation, with a larger group sitting in a softer “leaning” camp that could ultimately decide the outcome. The data also points to a sharp political divide, particularly within the UCP base where views are far more split than among Alberta NDP supporters, who overwhelmingly back remaining in Canada.
New West CEO Monte Solberg joined CBC’s The Eyeopener to talk about what actually moves the needle in this debate, why performance matters more than rhetoric, and what people will be watching in the weeks ahead. On CBC’s The Current, NWPA Partner Keith McLaughlin and Senior Advisor Ian Brodie unpacked what historical precedents can tell us about this present moment, and explored what a potential referendum could mean for Alberta’s political future.
For its part, the Alberta NDP released a new advertisement this week championing its pro-Canada approach. Leaning into pride around the Olympics, the ad takes direct aim at Premier Danielle Smith, saying she’d have the province “walk away from Team Canada.” The Premier, however, continues to walk a careful line, saying this week she has not signed the separatist petition – or any other - as she believes this is a citizen-initiated process meant for citizens. Organizers of the Alberta independence petition are in the second month of gathering signatures and have until May to reach their goal.
The Premier is likely more focused at this moment on the April 1 deadline to finalize a series of high-stakes agreements with Ottawa under the Alberta–Canada energy Memorandum of Understanding. That deal sets the framework for advancing a new pipeline to the B.C. coast, moving ahead with the Pathways carbon capture project, and hammering out new rules on carbon pricing, methane regulations, and regulatory timelines. With both governments committed to delivering multiple agreements by April 1, the file carries major implications for investment, project approvals, and Alberta’s broader economic strategy. In the shadow of these high-stakes negotiations, Smith little political room to let the separatism debate derail talks that could shape the province’s energy future for decades.
That focus on de-risking major projects and proving Alberta can deliver both growth and credibility on emissions is already showing up in the province’s policy choices. This week, the government announced $28 million in new funding through the industry-backed TIER program to support six projects aimed at boosting energy production while cutting environmental impacts. The investments range from turning cattle waste into renewable natural gas, to making carbon capture pipelines more secure and restoring old well sites— all part of a broader pitch that Alberta can expand output, and lower emissions at the same time. Together, the projects are expected to create about 1,000 jobs, add nearly $167 million to the economy by 2027, and cut 260,000 tonnes of emissions by 2030.
Finally, just over three months after Alberta teachers were ordered back to work following the largest strike in the province’s history, the government is putting its money where its mouth is. This week, it committed $143 million to roll out new “classroom complexity teams” in 476 elementary schools, a move it says will help teachers manage increasingly diverse academic and behavioural needs. Each team will include a teacher and two educational assistants, offering in-class support, access to specialists, and help with everything from language learning and enrichment to classroom disruptions. The funding is based on new province-wide data that shows wide gaps in class size and student needs. The government argues that early intervention in K–6 will be more effective—and cheaper—than trying to fix problems later. While the province frames the initiative as part of its broader plan to hire more teachers and support staff, teachers’ representatives and the opposition are pressing for clearer timelines, more transparency, and similar support for older grades, arguing the move underscores years of underfunding.
Top Alberta Stories
Despite increasing noise around Alberta’s independence movement, most Albertans still lean toward staying in Canada. A survey released by the Angus Reid Institute this week found that about two-thirds of respondents would either vote to remain, or would lean that way if a referendum were held today. Only a small minority say they are firmly committed to separation, with a larger group sitting in a softer “leaning” camp that could ultimately decide the outcome. The data also points to a sharp political divide, particularly within the UCP base where views are far more split than among Alberta NDP supporters, who overwhelmingly back remaining in Canada.
New West CEO Monte Solberg joined CBC’s The Eyeopener to talk about what actually moves the needle in this debate, why performance matters more than rhetoric, and what people will be watching in the weeks ahead. On CBC’s The Current, NWPA Partner Keith McLaughlin and Senior Advisor Ian Brodie unpacked what historical precedents can tell us about this present moment, and explored what a potential referendum could mean for Alberta’s political future.
For its part, the Alberta NDP released a new advertisement this week championing its pro-Canada approach. Leaning into pride around the Olympics, the ad takes direct aim at Premier Danielle Smith, saying she’d have the province “walk away from Team Canada.” The Premier, however, continues to walk a careful line, saying this week she has not signed the separatist petition – or any other - as she believes this is a citizen-initiated process meant for citizens. Organizers of the Alberta independence petition are in the second month of gathering signatures and have until May to reach their goal.
The Premier is likely more focused at this moment on the April 1 deadline to finalize a series of high-stakes agreements with Ottawa under the Alberta–Canada energy Memorandum of Understanding. That deal sets the framework for advancing a new pipeline to the B.C. coast, moving ahead with the Pathways carbon capture project, and hammering out new rules on carbon pricing, methane regulations, and regulatory timelines. With both governments committed to delivering multiple agreements by April 1, the file carries major implications for investment, project approvals, and Alberta’s broader economic strategy. In the shadow of these high-stakes negotiations, Smith little political room to let the separatism debate derail talks that could shape the province’s energy future for decades.
That focus on de-risking major projects and proving Alberta can deliver both growth and credibility on emissions is already showing up in the province’s policy choices. This week, the government announced $28 million in new funding through the industry-backed TIER program to support six projects aimed at boosting energy production while cutting environmental impacts. The investments range from turning cattle waste into renewable natural gas, to making carbon capture pipelines more secure and restoring old well sites— all part of a broader pitch that Alberta can expand output, and lower emissions at the same time. Together, the projects are expected to create about 1,000 jobs, add nearly $167 million to the economy by 2027, and cut 260,000 tonnes of emissions by 2030.
Finally, just over three months after Alberta teachers were ordered back to work following the largest strike in the province’s history, the government is putting its money where its mouth is. This week, it committed $143 million to roll out new “classroom complexity teams” in 476 elementary schools, a move it says will help teachers manage increasingly diverse academic and behavioural needs. Each team will include a teacher and two educational assistants, offering in-class support, access to specialists, and help with everything from language learning and enrichment to classroom disruptions. The funding is based on new province-wide data that shows wide gaps in class size and student needs. The government argues that early intervention in K–6 will be more effective—and cheaper—than trying to fix problems later. While the province frames the initiative as part of its broader plan to hire more teachers and support staff, teachers’ representatives and the opposition are pressing for clearer timelines, more transparency, and similar support for older grades, arguing the move underscores years of underfunding.
Top Ontario Stories
Facing pressure from the post-secondary education sector ahead of the province’s spring budget, the Ford government announced a wholesale restructuring of post-secondary funding which includes ending the tuition freeze, injecting new operating dollars, and overhauling OSAP. Starting in September, colleges and universities will be permitted to raise tuition by two per cent annually for three years, after which increases will be capped at the lower of two per cent or inflation.
The change is accompanied by $6.4 billion in new core funding over four years, targeting institutions that offer programming aligned with "in-demand careers." The government's pitch is that this brings operating funding up roughly 30 per cent to $7 billion annually, providing sustainability for the sector.
The OSAP reforms are on a parallel track. The province is substantially reducing the amount of grant funding available to students. Starting this fall, students will receive a maximum of 25 per cent of their OSAP funding as grants, down from 85 per cent currently, with the remainder of funding provided as loans. The province is also no longer offering OSAP grants to students at private career colleges, in alignment with changes made by the federal government.
Zooming out, the province's Q3 finances and the Financial Accountability Office's Winter 2026 Economic and Budget Outlook landed this week against a backdrop of mounting fiscal pressures. The FAO has concluded Ontario is not currently on a path to balance, though as the government frequently points out, the FAO’s findings only reflect a snapshot in time. With the budget expected to land before the end of March, the public won’t have to wait long to get a clearer sense of Ontario’s fiscal plan.
Ontario continues to be one of the most interesting jurisdictions to watch when it comes to investments in nuclear power. Ontario Power Generation signed a deal with the Municipality of Port Hope this week to advance plans to construct a new large-scale nuclear reactor. Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says the project – which aims to build the largest nuclear generating station in the world – would power up to 10 million homes and create more than 10,000 jobs province-wide. At the same time, the province is working on the construction of four small modular reactors at Darlington and exploring a new plant at Bruce Power in Tiverton.
The months-long standoff between Premier Ford and spirits manufacturer Diageo came to an end this week when the government announced a $23-million agreement that will keep Crown Royal on LCBO shelves. Ford had threatened to pull Diageo products after the company announced it was shuttering its bottling plant in Amherstburg, affecting roughly 200 workers. The agreement covers ingredient sourcing, local economic development, and marketing investment, but it does not restore the Amherstburg jobs.”
A new poll by Abacus Data shows Ontario Liberals gaining ground in public support after Bonnie Crombie's resignation as party leader. With 47 per cent of the population believing its “definitely time for a change of government in Ontario,” whether the Liberals can capitalize on this new momentum will depend heavily on who succeeds Crombie, and how the Ontario NDP continue to perform as official opposition at Queen’s Park.
Upcoming Events Calendar
February 24, 2026: Alberta legislative assembly resumes
February 26, 2026: Alberta Budget 2026 to be released
March 23, 2026: Ontario legislative assembly resumes
March 29, 2026: Federal NDP Leadership Race Results Announcement
