Canada's National Observer

AI is moving faster than clean power. Alberta’s answer is natural gas

Meta’s $13-billion Alberta data centre is being sold as a leap into the AI economy. It is also a warning that electricity demand may be accelerating faster than Canada can build clean power.

Alberta farmer turns bad weather into a clean power play

A farmer-led group cleared a key hurdle last month for an all-in-one renewable energy project to power a future AI data centre in southern Alberta. Now the hard work begins.

Poilievre accuses Carney of ducking questions about Canada's sluggish economy

Many economists have dismissed the recession label, arguing the recent slump doesn't have the depth or breadth to meet that bar. But the Conservative leader told reporters on Parliament Hill on Monday that there's nothing technical about this downturn.

Global oil demand falls for the first time since COVID

The International Energy Agency expects demand to rebound in 2027, but analysts question whether the Iran war could hasten a long-term decline.

War is peace. Emissions are emission reductions. Ignorance is strength.

Mark Carney's announcement of a deal with Alberta to build a new pipeline is bad enough. The language with which it was announced is somehow even worse.

This is Ontario's worst wildfire season, early estimates suggest. And it's not over yet.

The province's latest numbers suggest fires have burned through more than 7,250 square kilometres of Ontario's forest, surpassing the previous record set in 2021. The preliminary estimate is likely to be revised once officials get a closer look at the devastation, but it stands as a sign of how quickly the season has worsened.

Investors funnel trillions into fossil fuels, despite looming climate targets

Institutional investors are channeling trillions into the fossil fuel industry through shares and bonds, with a majority of the financing tied to the expansion of coal, oil and gas production and extending beyond 2050 climate targets.

Governments knew the risks of global warming in the 1950s: report

A new report suggests that some governments have ignored legal obligations to prevent climate harm for decades, even as they chose fossil-fueled growth.

Taxpayers could be paying twice for Pathways carbon capture project

Canadians already funding the majority of the cost of building the Pathways project, the world’s biggest CCS complex, could also be stuck with higher fuel prices under a plan to help absorb the megaproject’s operating costs.

Food Banks Canada says employment insurance doesn't serve the modern workforce

Food Banks Canada says Canada's employment insurance no longer serves the broader and shifting workforce as more people take up gig work or part-time jobs.

Ontario’s expensive nuclear fantasy will cost the province dearly

Doug Ford's government is betting big on nuclear energy. Danielle Smith's government prefers natural gas. Neither seems to want to do the actual conservative thing: letting the market decide.

Mark Carney's new climate doctrine

Prior to being elected prime minister, Carney dubbed climate change “an existential threat.” This week, he was calling the plan to fight climate change “unsustainable over the long term” and “too expensive" and, before the week was out, the PM had greased the skids for a suite of LNG projects and a new million barrel-per-day oil pipeline to the West Coast.

US big tech holds 85 per cent of Canadian cloud market, report says ahead of AI strategy

Three big US tech companies control the vast majority of Canada’s publicly-available cloud infrastructure, says a new report released ahead of the government’s national AI strategy, which is expected to include measures targeting AI sovereignty.

Kerry-Lynne Findlay won BC Conservative race as most authentic populist, says expert

Kerry-Lynne Findlay won the BC Conservative leadership race because she is an "authentic champion" of populism within the broader conservative movement, says an analyst who studies modern conservatism in western countries.

Alberta’s grievances should really be with Alberta

If Albertans insist on playing the blame game, I have a suggestion for who they ought to be targeting: their provincial government.

Scientists find climate change is reducing oxygen in rivers worldwide

Global warming is causing rivers to slowly lose oxygen, threatening fish and other lives in the waterways, a new study shows. Researchers in China used satellites and artificial intelligence to track and analyze oxygen levels in more than 21,000 rivers across the globe since 1985. They found oxygen levels have dropped an average of 2.1 per cent since 1985, according to a study published Friday.

Controversial West Coast pipeline one step closer to being fast-tracked

The federal government gave notice that it intends to designate the West Coast pipeline proposal for fast-tracking under the Building Canada Act which could make it the first project to achieve special status under the law.

Ontario Liberals should ask hard questions about a riding nomination, not wave them away

The Ontario Liberal Party should be expressing concern at alleged irregularities from a nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest, and assuring people that the party will get to the bottom of it. Instead, what we get is dismissive hand-waving that this is all somehow normal. One would think a struggling political party that has had little to no relevance for the better part of the last decade would show some humility and dial back the hubris, but that would clearly be wrong.

Here's what Hydro-Québec tried to hide from the Newfoundland and Labrador government

First Nation leaders call for public inquiry into Ontario wildfire response

Several leaders who spoke Tuesday said official evacuation orders came late or not at all, forcing residents to flee without government support. Many spoke of how communities lack the firefighting resources of municipalities despite their position in high-risk fire areas.

Separatism and energy: Alberta's Smith set to meet with counterpart in Quebec this week

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is planning to meet with her counterpart in Quebec City this week, with separatism and energy possible topics of discussion.

A pipeline to nowhere: Carney’s dangerous political game

Canadians are being sold a story about energy security, economic competitiveness and national interest. Yet a hypothetical new oilsands pipeline would not lower gas prices for Canadians.

Doug Ford needs to get serious about the future

The Ontario premier's latest multi-billion dollar infrastructure proposal might be his dumbest idea yet. It's also a sign of how unprepared he is for the future his province is facing.

Poilievre says Canada will never be the European Union's '28th state'

The Conservative Leader is doubling down on his objection to Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union.

Canada Post workers to find out if they have a new tentative deal

Postal workers are set to find out if they have a new tentative agreement more than two years into the labour strife, as the union is set to release its ballot results today.

Donald Trump can spare Canada the lecture on climate disasters

The US president and members of congress lashed out at Canada over the smoke pouring across the border this week. They should look in the mirror.

Praise from Poilievre, but two former BC Conservative MLAs say new leader will polarize

Two former BC Conservative legislators now sitting as Independents say new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay will polarize the province.

Newfoundland and Labrador offering millions for exploration to open new oil frontiers

Premier Tony Wakeham opened an annual energy conference in St. John's, N.L., Tuesday by announcing a call for exploration bids off the province’s east coast. There have been no takers in the past few years, but Wakeham seemed determined that this year will be different.

With Guilbeault gone, the Justin Trudeau era is now officially over

Steven Guilbeault's resignation from the Liberal caucus marks the end of a certain approach to doing climate politics. That's not necessarily a bad thing, either.

Schools, band office closed after Saskatchewan shooting kills one and 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.

Racism is a risk when Vancouver hosts World Cup, but measures exist, says BC AG Sharma

Hosting seven World Cup games in Vancouver comes with the risk of racism, but BC's attorney general says her government will do everything it can to make sure that won't happen.

Thousands of forgotten gas wells are killing people in southwestern Ontario

Almost unnoticed, people are dying in explosions and accidents across southwestern Ontario linked to invisible toxic gas leaking from about 27,000 long-buried gas wells.

At least 50 people killed and 700,000 are displaced by India floods after monsoon rains

Flooding in India’s northeastern Assam state has killed at least 50 people and displaced 700,000 after days of heavy monsoon rain that overflowed the Brahmaputra River, officials said on Friday.

Alberta electricity industry expects tripling of power prices from data centres

In Capital Power's latest earnings call, the company's CEO, Avik Dey, told analysts that he couldn't rule out prices of "$80 or $90" per megawatt hour of electricity by early 2028. By 2029, rival company TransAlta is predicting as high as $100 — a high not seen since the province's 2021-2023 energy crisis.

Consignaction: How does it work?

Québécois who want to return deposit-bearing containers have to get used to a new system. Here is what you need to know.

Trump says US to continue buying Canadian potash but wants cheaper price

Trump made the comments to reporters a day after claiming he was working on a deal to purchase cheaper potash from Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said his country couldn't meet demand from the United States.

N.B. power company risked millions of dollars taking shortcuts on gas plant: auditor

The utility entered into a long-term agreement without regulatory approval and selected equipment without studying alternatives, among other missteps, auditor general Paul Martin said in his report released Tuesday.

Ontario budgets just $150M for wildfires despite burning through almost double last year

In 2025’s budget, Ontario allotted $135 million for its Emergency Forest Firefighting fund, but the province ended up spending double that: $271 million, according to this year’s budget. The same document penciled in just $150 million again for this year.

World's largest carbon capture complex gets go-ahead in Ottawa's oilsands 'grand bargain'

The memorandum of understanding between the federal government and Alberta also includes a new long-distance oil pipeline to the West Coast and the carbon price rising to $130/tonne by 2030.

Mark Carney keeps giving Danielle Smith everything she wants — and depriving her of what she needs

Alberta's premier requires an enemy in Ottawa. The prime minister keeps refusing to play that role.

Feds consider bigger role for local government in climate fight

Ottawa is exploring ways to give municipalities a bigger role in delivering billions in climate and infrastructure funding, as communities argue they can do the job faster and more effectively.

Rebel News says it will register to advertise for Alberta separation

Rebel News says it plans to register as a third-party advertiser during Alberta's secession referendum in support of the separatist cause.

Carney and Smith agree on terms to build a new oil pipeline

The prime minister and Alberta's premier announced their agreement in Calgary on the eve of a long weekend. In it, Alberta committed to submit its pipeline application to the Major Projects Office by July 1 — and by Oct. 1, the federal government aims to designate it a “project of national interest” and immediately start determining the conditions for its construction.

Ontario wildfire response fans flames of distrust

With the provincial government keeping a low profile and a dearth of solid information, some of the people impacted by the wildfires raging in Ontario's north are seeking alternative explanations.

Tory leader takes aim at Liberals with a call for emergency debate on the economy

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is stepping up his attack on Liberal policies with a call for an emergency parliamentary debate on the economy.

Turkish gun given to PM must undergo review before going in museum

Canada's national war and history museums say they would have to conduct a review before they could display a personalized revolver and ammunition given to Prime Minister Mark Carney at this year's NATO summit.

Ontario says data centres will pay full energy costs — but some say power bills could still rise

Data centre companies will have to cover 100 per cent of their energy costs to connect to Ontario's power grid, Energy Minister Stephen Lecce said Tuesday — but some observers say the spike in demand will still drive up power prices for everyone.

Canada can’t subsidize oil and gas and call it nation-building

Environmental Defence’s latest analysis found the federal government provided at least $10.2 billion in fossil fuel subsidies and public financing in 2025.

Alberta wants to double its oil production. Alberta's oil companies? Not so much

Danielle Smith wants to double Alberta's oil production in a decade. The math still says that's impossible — and all the MOUs in the world can't change that.

How to prepare for a huge disaster when you live in a tiny apartment

No bunker required: Your guide to prepping for natural disasters, pandemics and more when you live in a city.