• Immigration, high-speed rail and Bill 21: Where new PQ government could test Ottawa

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-07 08:00:00.0
  Tags: [National, Quebec, Immigration, Infrastructure, Transportation, Justice, Finance, Governance]

  Following the Parti Québécois' provincial election victory, Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon faces key policy friction points with Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government. The PQ intends to seek full provincial control over immigration to reduce permanent immigrants to 35,000 and halve temporary immigration quotas, oppose the federal high-speed rail project connecting Toronto to Quebec City via Montreal, and seek $4.4 billion in additional federal transfers. Additionally, the new government plans to challenge federal authority by taking steps to abolish the monarchy in Quebec and cut funding to the lieutenant-governor's office, while awaiting a crucial Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Bill 21.

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• Alto high-speed rail project could cost more than originally thought: budget watchdog

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-01 14:34:52.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Infrastructure, Transportation, Transit, Finance]

  A new report from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) indicates that the proposed Alto high-speed rail project connecting Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa, and Montreal could cost between $75 billion and $113 billion, higher than official initial estimates of $60 billion to $90 billion. The Crown corporation Alto is overseeing the corridor project, with cost drivers primarily attributed to tunnels and elevated structures, which add $169 million and $153 million per kilometre respectively. The PBO estimates the construction will provide modest economic stimulus, raising real GDP by approximately $1.8 billion in 2029 and $2 billion by 2033 while creating between 4,300 and 9,000 jobs. Federal legislation such as Bill C-5 (the One Canadian Economy Act) may help mitigate project risks, land acquisition hurdles, and permitting delays.

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• Canada’s airports saw record improvements in delays, NAV Canada says

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-28 15:26:44.0
  Tags: [National, British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, Transportation, Infrastructure, Governance]

  NAV Canada reported that the number of scheduled flights impacted by delays across Canada's four major airports—Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Calgary, and Vancouver International Airports—fell by 85 per cent from May 1 to Aug. 31, 2026, compared to the same period in 2025. Specifically, delayed flights dropped from 4,996 (1.54 per cent) in 2025 to 769 (0.24 per cent) in 2026, while total flight volume across the four hubs increased by 0.9 per cent to handle 394,919 flights. Vancouver recorded the sharpest improvement with delays dropping from 4.42 per cent to 0.64 per cent, Toronto Pearson had the lowest share of delayed flights at 0.04 per cent, Calgary dropped to 0.05 per cent, and Montréal-Trudeau dropped to 0.28 per cent. Additionally, NAV Canada noted that national air traffic controller staffing shortages narrowed from a deficit of 200 staff in the spring to 170 by August. Concurrently, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the federal government is moving ahead with plans to attract private investment in Canada's four largest airports under a model where the federal government retains ownership of underlying land and assets.

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• Critics slam Newfoundland, Quebec power agreement as MLA leaves party

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-14 21:06:40.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, National, Energy, Infrastructure, Governance]

  The Newfoundland and Labrador legislature opened a four-day debate on a tentative 50-year framework agreement with Hydro-Québec concerning Churchill Falls energy, valued at over $50 billion with $10 billion in federal financing from Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. The proposed energy arrangement involves divvy-ing up power from the 5,428-megawatt Churchill Falls generating station and developing a new 2,700-megawatt generating station at Gull Island on the Churchill River, targeting an estimated return of $49 billion for Newfoundland and Labrador. Amid heavy public protests outside the Confederation Building and criticism over abandoning a promised referendum, Progressive Conservative MLA Keith Russell left the governing caucus to sit as an Independent for his Labrador district.

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• PQ leader says he's worried Ottawa is meddling in Quebec election

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-04 22:03:52.0
  Tags: [Quebec, National, Governance, Infrastructure, Industry, Transportation]

  Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has requested that Élections Québec investigate potential federal interference and illegal campaign contributions in the upcoming October 5, 2026 provincial election, citing recent federal announcements including an $11-billion investment in the Davie shipyard, a Churchill Falls agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador, and a $4.7-billion train car manufacturing investment in La Pocatière. St-Pierre Plamondon also raised concerns over alleged coordination between Prime Minister Mark Carney's federal government, Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette's campaign, and the non-profit organization Mission Leadership Québec regarding town hall contracts. Premier Christine Fréchette has denied the allegations of federal meddling, asserting that the partnerships benefit Quebec.

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• Feds announce $4.7B for new VIA Rail cars to be built in Ontario, Quebec

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-09-03 18:05:42.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Transportation, Infrastructure, Economy]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a federal investment of more than $4.7 billion for Via Rail to acquire and maintain 313 new passenger rail cars from Alstom Canada under the Buy Canadian Policy. The contract marks the first time in four decades that Via Rail passenger cars will be built entirely in Canada, replacing existing cars that are roughly 70 years old. The manufacturing and assembly will take place at facilities in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and La Pocatière, Quebec, with design and engineering conducted in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec. The project is projected to generate over $1.6 billion in economic benefits and support nearly 700 jobs across Ontario and Quebec.

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• VIA Rail cars to be made in Canada for 1st time in 40 years, Carney says

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-09-03 15:40:02.0
  Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, Transportation, Infrastructure, Trade, Industry]

  Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $4.7 billion contract to build and maintain 313 new passenger cars for VIA Rail domestically in Canada, marking the first time in 40 years that the rail cars will be produced in the country rather than the United States. The manufacturing will be executed by Alstom at its plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario, directly supporting 700 jobs across Ontario and Quebec while maximizing the use of Canadian steel. The announcement comes amid ongoing trade tensions and U.S. tariffs following the federal government's decision to suspend trade negotiations with the United States.

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