In the news today: LeBlanc visits Washington, Saskatchewan shooting, Canucks coach

The federal government’s AI strategy, set to be released this week, is expected to include building a foundation for Canadian sovereign AI as one of its six pillars.

The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project says it’s difficult to replace the kind of global services big U.S. hyperscalers can offer, but it says the government can step in and help create competition by making it easier to switch between providers.

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LeBlanc to meet Trump’s trade czar in Washington on Tuesday

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is set to travel to Washington on Tuesday to meet with his American counterpart as negotiations between Ottawa and the Trump administration on a critical continental trade pact lag.

LeBlanc’s spokesperson Gabriel Brunet said the minister will be joined by Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette for a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Official trade talks between Ottawa and Washington have yet to begin ahead of a mandatory review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico-Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA.

Greer has suggested the Trump administration is unlikely to rubber-stamp a renewal. Canada and Mexico are preparing for lengthy negotiations.

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Here’s what Hydro-Québec fought to hide from the Newfoundland and Labrador government

Hydro-Québec fought to hide parts of letters from the 1960s showing what it offered to lure a French aluminum company to Quebec.

The utility claimed the correspondence could jeopardize its present-day energy negotiations with Newfoundland and Labrador about Churchill Falls.

The records show that the utility tried to censor sections of correspondence that revealed how Quebec officials mentioned the Churchill Falls agreement in its discussions with the French company.

The utility also tried to censor comments about how added power from Churchill Falls would allow Hydro-Québec to freeze the power rates for the aluminum company for a few years.

But The Canadian Press showed the unredacted documents to several energy experts and professors and no one could point to anything that could hamper negotiations with Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Schools, band office closed after Saskatchewan shooting kills one, injures another

The remote northeastern Saskatchewan community of Pelican Narrows has been left shaken after a shooting near its local health clinic that killed one person and injured another.

RCMP say a suspect was taken into custody late Monday, almost six hours after residents in the community about 500 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon were ordered to shelter in place.

Officials with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation say that for safety reasons, schools and the local band office will be closed the rest of the week, and the health centre will offer limited services to clients with serious medical needs.

Dr. John-Michael Stevens, who has provided services at the clinic for nine years, says staff he’s spoken to say they — and the community at large — are shaken and that there’s fear something far worse could follow.

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Vancouver Canucks name Manny Malhotra new head coach

The Vancouver Canucks have named Manny Malhotra the 23rd head coach in franchise history.

The NHL team made the announcement Monday night, with general manager Ryan Johnson saying in a statement that he knows first hand what a good teacher, leader and quality person Malhotra is.

The pair worked together with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks and won a Calder Cup championship during the 2024-25 campaign.

The move is the latest in an overhaul that has seen Vancouver replace general manager Patrik Allvin, president of hockey operations, and head coach Adam Foote since finishing the season last in the league with a 25-29-8 record.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

In the news today: LeBlanc visits Washington, Saskatchewan shooting, Canucks coach

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