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Fraud, breach of trust and money laundering subject of RCMP Alberta health care procurement probe: court filing
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-28 17:11:45.0
Tags: [Alberta, Healthcare, Justice, Public Safety, Governance]An Ontario Crown prosecutor's letter filed in Athana Mentzelopoulos's $1.7-million wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the Alberta government revealed that the RCMP are investigating Alberta Health Services procurement practices for potential fraud, breach of trust, and money laundering. Mentzelopoulos, the former CEO of Alberta Health Services, claims she was fired after investigating inflated contracts for private clinic surgeries and conflicts of interest involving Sam Mraiche's medical supply company, MHCare. While opposition NDP leader Naheed Nenshi renewed calls for a public inquiry, Premier Danielle Smith rejected the demand, citing an earlier report by retired judge Raymond Wyant.
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Le gouvernement du Québec souhaite mettre fin au changement d'heure
Source: Quebec - Fil de presse gouvernemental
Date: 2026-10-28 14:22:30.0
Tags: [Quebec, Justice, Healthcare, Governance]Quebec Minister of Justice Marie-Claude Sarrazin announced the government's intention to make the upcoming time change the last one in the province. The decision follows public consultations and studies highlighting the negative impacts of time changes on mental and physical health. The initiative represents a significant regulatory and governance shift for the province regarding standard time observation.
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2026 Speech From the Throne will Keep Saskatchewan Strong and Steady
Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
Date: 2026-10-28 02:09:00.0
Tags: [Saskatchewan, Economy, Healthcare, Justice, Infrastructure, Governance]The Government of Saskatchewan delivered its 2026 Speech from the Throne, outlining a legislative agenda centered on maintaining economic stability amid global market uncertainties and highlighting over $100 billion in major projects currently underway. Premier Scott Moe's administration announced plans to introduce several new pieces of legislation, including the Safer Homes for Seniors Act, the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Additional Safeguards Act prohibiting MAID for minors and sole mental illness conditions, and the Protection of Economic Infrastructure Act to prevent disruptions to critical supply chains. Additional proposed laws include the Opioids Damages Act to recover health care costs from manufacturers, the Prevention of Deceptive AI Act, and amendments to The Traffic Safety Act and The Enforcement of Maintenance Orders Act. Furthermore, the government committed to raising the provincial income tax-free threshold for a family of four above the current $65,000 level in the upcoming spring budget.
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Ottawa tables new MAID legislation, excluding people suffering solely from mental illness
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-27 14:54:38.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Justice]Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser and Health Minister Marjorie Michel tabled new legislation in Parliament amending the Criminal Code to indefinitely exclude individuals suffering solely from mental illness from accessing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). The legislation also establishes statutory criteria for advance requests for MAID, requiring patients to be in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability and experiencing enduring and intolerable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be relieved through reasonable means before losing the capacity to consent.
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Federal government to introduce bill restricting MAID for mental illness
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-27 12:14:26.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Justice]Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser and Health Minister Marjorie Michel announced the introduction of a new bill to amend Canada's medical assistance in dying (MAID) legislation. The proposed legislation permanently bars individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness from accessing MAID, following recommendations from a special parliamentary committee that reported in June. Additionally, the bill decriminalizes advance requests under the Criminal Code, allowing individuals diagnosed with degenerative conditions such as dementia or ALS to request an assisted death prior to losing the capacity to consent, subject to rigorous safeguards.
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C-41 (45-1) - Medical Assistance in Dying Safeguards Act
Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
Date: 2026-10-27 10:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Justice, Governance]The Minister of Justice introduced Bill C-41, titled the Medical Assistance in Dying Safeguards Act, in the House of Commons during the 1st session of the 45th Parliament on October 27, 2026. The legislation proposes amendments to the Criminal Code and related statutes concerning medical assistance in dying (MAID). The bill is currently at the second reading stage in the House of Commons following its first reading and introduction.
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In P.E.I., sweeping new strategy takes aim at ‘pervasive drinking culture’
Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-24 08:00:00.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Healthcare, Public Safety, Justice]The Government of Prince Edward Island, led by Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison, has released a sweeping 16-point provincial alcohol strategy designed to address a pervasive drinking culture and reduce health and safety harms. The strategy follows five years of planning and public consultation, responding to data showing high-risk drinking contributes to 7,000 emergency department visits and hospitalizations annually, while direct alcohol-related costs reach over $131 million compared to $70 million in revenue. Key policy measures include screening for high-risk drinking during medical appointments, adjusting pricing based on alcohol content rather than volume to target high-potency cheap drinks, reviewing retail store availability and operating hours where 80 percent of residents live within 10 minutes of a P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission outlet, and reinvesting three percent of net alcohol profits back into community, education, and harm-reduction programs.
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Quebec's new PQ premier unveils smaller cabinet as minority government prepares to govern
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-21 16:45:26.0
Tags: [Quebec, Governance, Education, Healthcare, Finance, Justice]Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has unveiled a new minority government cabinet consisting of 23 ministers, down from the previous Coalition Avenir Québec government's 29. Notable appointments include Nicolas Marceau as finance minister, Marie-Karlynn Laflamme as health minister, Joël Arseneau as national education minister, Marie-Claude Sarrazin as justice minister, and Pascal Bérubé as culture minister. The swearing-in ceremony marked a historic departure by taking place without the lieutenant-governor presiding in person at St-Pierre Plamondon's request.
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Ottawa to indefinitely extend MAID exclusion for people solely suffering from mental illness
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-07 16:45:05.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Justice, Social Services]Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced that the Government of Canada will introduce legislation this fall to indefinitely extend the Criminal Code exclusion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) for individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. The upcoming government bill will also introduce provisions allowing for advance consent for MAID in cases where an incurable illness will eventually eliminate a person's decision-making capacity, while the government simultaneously opposes Conservative private member's bill C-218 for failing to address advance consent and using overly broad terminology regarding mental disorders.
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Canada won’t expand MAID for mental illness alone, minister says
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-07 16:17:25.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Justice]Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced that Canada will not expand Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) for individuals seeking it on the basis of mental illness alone. The current Criminal Code exclusion, which was set to expire in March 2027, will be maintained on an indeterminate basis through legislation to be tabled by the federal government this fall. Additionally, Minister Fraser stated that the government will grant MAID access to individuals who provided consent while possessing capacity but face a subsequent loss of capacity due to a diagnosed illness.
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Government to reveal next steps for medically assisted dying, justice minister says
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-06 20:04:32.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Justice, Governance]Federal Minister of Justice Sean Fraser announced that the Liberal government will reveal its planned legislative path forward regarding medical assistance in dying (MAID) for individuals whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. This follows an 88-page report released in June by a special parliamentary committee recommending that the government indefinitely exclude mental illness as a sole eligibility criterion for MAID under the Criminal Code. Unless the federal government intervenes or passes new legislation, MAID eligibility is currently scheduled to automatically expand to cover mental illness in March of next year.
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New federal petition calls for permanent health funding for residential school survivors
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-10-01 21:42:25.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Social Services, Healthcare, Justice]Winnipeg Centre Member of Parliament Leah Gazan submitted a House of Commons petition containing 930 signatures calling on the federal government to make health resource funding permanent for Indian Residential School survivors. The petition specifically targets the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program—established in 2006 under the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement—which provides cultural, emotional, and mental health counseling and is currently scheduled to sunset in March 2028. Additionally, the petition demands permanent federal funding for the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund, which assists Indigenous communities in conducting archival research and locating unmarked graves. The initiative also renews legislative calls to criminalize residential school denialism via a private member's bill initially re-tabled in October 2025.
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Advocates plea for feds to call inquiry into Alberta, Sask. trans laws
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-28 21:01:30.0
Tags: [Alberta, Saskatchewan, National, Education, Healthcare, Social Services, Justice]LGBTQ+ advocates are petitioning the federal government in Ottawa to call a formal national inquiry into provincial legislation enacted in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The contested laws include parental consent mandates for students under 16 altering their names or pronouns at school, bans on transgender athletes aged 12 and older participating in competitive female sports, and restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for youth. Both Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe utilized the notwithstanding clause to protect these legislative measures from judicial review.
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New EPS integrated stabilization centre already saving lives
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-28 11:15:28.0
Tags: [Alberta, Healthcare, Public Safety, Social Services, Justice]The Edmonton Police Service opened a new 18-bed integrated stabilization centre inside its downtown headquarters, recording 98 admissions over its first three and a half weeks, with 12 individuals transferred directly to the Addiction Recovery Centre at Alberta Hospital Edmonton. The initiative forms part of the Alberta provincial government's broader Mental Health and Addiction portfolio, which has expanded its budget from approximately $80 million in direct funding in 2019 to $2.3 billion. Operating in partnership with Recovery Alberta, the facility aims to provide frontline police and health workers an immediate destination for individuals experiencing substance use crises and connect them with voluntary opioid agonist therapy programs.
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C-218 (45-1) - An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)
Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
Date: 2026-09-23 17:45:00.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Justice, Governance]Private Member's Bill C-218, titled An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), was introduced in the House of Commons during the 45th Parliament by Conservative Member of Parliament Tamara Jansen. The bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code regarding medical assistance in dying and follows a similar previously defeated private member's bill, C-314, from the 44th Parliament. The legislation is currently undergoing debate at second reading in the House of Commons, with major speeches delivered by sponsor Tamara Jansen, Liberal Member Juanita Nathan, and Bloc Québécois Member Claude DeBellefeuille.
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'Father of Nunavut' has one more fight left: to live in the territory he helped create
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-22 08:00:00.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Seniors, Social Services, Indigenous, Justice]Supporters of John Amagoalik, known as the 'Father of Nunavut,' filed two notices of application for judicial review in the Nunavut Court of Justice against the territorial government after it declined a request for $16,000 per month to cover his accessible housing and daily personal support worker care in Iqaluit. Amagoalik, who requires complex medical care following a partial leg amputation, was previously sent by the Department of Health to Embassy West Senior Living in Ottawa, where 73 Nunavut elders are currently housed due to a lack of territorial facilities. Friends and supporters formed the John A. Committee, raising $30,000 to temporarily bring him home, and are now seeking a court order to compel the government to adequately fund his long-term care needs within the territory.
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Saddle Lake Cree Nation asserts treaty rights over access to gender-affirming care
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-09 21:56:42.0
Tags: [Alberta, Indigenous, Healthcare, Justice, Governance]Saddle Lake Cree Nation is asserting its sovereign treaty rights under the "medicine chest" clause of Treaty 6 to create protections for gender-affirming care on reserve lands and territories. The initiative directly challenges Alberta provincial legislation, specifically Bills 26, 27, and 29, which implemented restrictions on transgender youth regarding medical treatments, name and pronoun changes, and sports participation. Backed by Two-Spirit family physician Dr. James Makokis, the Nation plans to bring in Canadian-trained clinicians to provide uninterrupted medical services on reserve lands outside provincial jurisdiction.
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Denmark passes compensation bill for thousands of Inuit in Greenland forced to get IUDs
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-09-03 14:28:17.0
Tags: [National, Indigenous, Justice, Healthcare, Social Services]Following a 2025 joint Greenlandic-Danish inquiry revealing that approximately 4,000 Greenlandic women and girls were subjected to forced intrauterine device (IUD) implantations and sterilizations between 1966 and 1991, the Danish government passed a bill awarding eligible victims a one-time compensation of roughly $64,000 CAD. This legislative action has prompted Inuit women and advocates in Canada—where historical and ongoing forced and coerced sterilizations of Indigenous women have been documented into the 2010s, including 22 documented cases in Quebec between 1980 and 2019—to renew calls for a formal federal apology and financial restitution. While the Canadian federal government has not issued an apology or compensation program, it recently amended the Criminal Code in June to criminalize forced and coerced sterilization, alongside facing at least four active class-action lawsuits.
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Task Force Prepares for Community Engagement With Discussions on Key Violence Prevention Initiatives
Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-08-31 12:00:36.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Justice, Public Safety, Social Services, Healthcare]The Task Force to End Gender-Based Violence in Newfoundland and Labrador met on August 25 and 26, 2026, to advance community engagement plans targeting diverse populations, including survivors, Indigenous communities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. Co-chaired by Stacey Hoffe and overseen by Minister of Women and Gender Equity Lela Evans, the 12-member task force discussed policy areas such as electronic monitoring, emergency protection orders, and post-release supports for incarcerated individuals in Labrador. The task force also received updates from various provincial bodies—including the Department of Social Supports and Well-Being, the Department of Health and Community Services regarding the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program, and the Department of Justice and Public Safety regarding the Policing Transformation Working Group report—ahead of delivering its first public report in fall 2026.
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