By The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers opening remarks during the start of the second day at the 2026 Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)

Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Tuesday that changes to visa rules for travel to European countries are a “possibility.”

Speaking in French to reporters in Toronto just ahead of his trip to France to address to the European Parliament, the prime minister said travel visas amount to just one element of ongoing talks on deepening ties with the European Union.

Carney spoke only vaguely about what could be on the table but pointed to several “strategic areas” where Ottawa and European nations can forge closer economic ties, such as energy, critical minerals, defence, space and artificial intelligence.

“They need our energy, we’ll have some benefit from some of their clean energy technology and investors without question. So, there is some reciprocity. They need our critical minerals,” he said.

He also cited opportunities in research, cultural exchanges and people-to-people ties, “all of which needs to be defined.”

The prime minister was responding to a question about a story published in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday which relied on confidential sources to describe the ongoing talks.

The news outlet reported the idea of allowing Canadians to live and work visa-free in Europe came up in conversations between Canada and France.

It also suggested Canada could become an “associate member” of the EU. No such formal status exists but a partnership between Canada and the EU would involve forging tighter supply chains and new economic initiatives.

On Tuesday, Carney spoke about an “alliance” with Europe and said he believes the word “partnership” is a “cheap currency” used too often in international diplomacy.

“People use ‘partnerships’ maybe a little too quickly,” he said. “I think we’ve moved towards something that’s quite unique.”

The prime minister said discussions on deeper ties with the European Union will reach the next stage at a Canada-EU summit in Montreal at the end of October. He suggested no one should expect a “big reveal” there.

Ottawa has been in talks with the European Union since it announced an “EU-Canada Strategic Partnership of the Future” in June 2025.

A year ago, Carney appointed Canada’s former top civil servant John Hannaford as a personal representative to the European Union.

Ottawa also has joined SAFE, a defence procurement and loan program for members of the European single market.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday in Vancouver that Carney should spell out exactly what he is proposing beyond existing free trade with Europe and Canada’s ongoing membership in NATO.

“We want Canada to have free trade with Europe, co-operation with Europe, but we’ll never surrender our independence and sovereignty over our laws, our tax money and our immigration policies,” Poilievre said.

Carney said the overall goal is to bolster Canada’s “resilience” and “sovereignty” by integrating with reliable countries that share the same values.

“One of the lessons of the last few years is that integration, whether it’s trade or in a supply chain or in a technology … is being used as a weapon by certain countries,” he said.

“We have to look at where we stand, and who our partners are, so that … we’re trading with, we’re connected to partners on which we can rely, and that makes us more independent.”

The United States continues to ratchet up trade pressure on Canada and has for more than a year targeted highly integrated Canadian industries with steep tariffs.

The latest round of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods took effect on Tuesday, although it covers a narrower range of goods than previous tariff announcements.

President Donald Trump has also threatened to greatly intensify his steel and auto industry tariffs in January.

While trade talks between the two sides blew up in August, the prime minister has said Canada is willing to go back to the table if there’s a prospect of a “mutually beneficial” deal.

— With files from Kyle Duggan in Ottawa

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba is investigating the death of a man following a 911 call in Canupawakpa Dakota First Nation.

On September 15, the Manitoba First Nations Police Service (MFNPS) notified the IIU of an incident that took place on November 22, 2024, at approximately 12:09 a.m. The Brandon communications centre received a 911 call in which a disturbance was heard, with GPS coordinates tracing the call to Canupawakpa Dakota First Nation. MFNPS members were dispatched but were unable to locate the caller, though they believed him to be a male from the area.

On November 30, 2024, MFNPS conducted another search of the area, during which an adult male was found deceased.

The investigation was initially forwarded to RCMP as a suspicious death. The Mounties later sent it back to MFNPS for possible reporting to the IIU, due to concerns about the man not being located until November 30.

Witnesses or anyone with information or video footage that may assist the investigation are asked to contact the IIU at 1-844-667-6060.

(PEXELS / STOCK)

Winnipeg police officers will have an increased presence in and around Winnipeg bars, lounges and other licensed establishments over the coming months as part of a new enforcement push.

Police say the efforts will target gang members and those involved in or associated with organized crime, with priority given to those who pose the greatest risk to public safety.

Officers will conduct walk-throughs and proactive patrols to enforce Section 32(1) of The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act, which allows for the removal of individuals whose presence creates a risk of violence.

Under Manitoba’s liquor regulations, licensed establishments can prohibit gang identifiers and may refuse entry to, or remove those patrons who don’t comply.

“Licensees are encouraged to ensure staff are familiar with their establishment’s policies and to apply those policies consistently and fairly,” police said in a statement.

Down the rabbit hole we go. Cirque Alice, a breathtaking new theatrical cirque spectacular, is making a stop in Winnipeg.

From the creators of “The Illusionists” and “Circus 1903,” the high-flying North American tour will arrive at the Burton Cummings Theatre on April 3 and 4.

Step into magical ‘Wonderland’ as Cirque Alice reimagines Lewis Carroll’s classic adventures with breathtaking twists and astonishing, gravity-defying feats.

Tickets go on sale Friday, September 18 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.

The Port of Churchill is shown from The Flats area of Churchill, Man., on Wednesday, July 4, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Premier Wab Kinew announced Monday that major capital investments in the Port of Churchill Plus project will be exempt from provincial sales tax.

Kinew made the pitch to investors at the Canadian Global Growth Forum in Toronto, speaking to about 250 Canadian and global investors representing more than US$13 trillion in assets.

“We are here in Toronto to tell global investors that the Port of Churchill is open and ready to expand,” Kinew said, adding that grain and critical minerals already shipped from the port are reaching Europe faster than through the Port of Vancouver.

The new tax exemption would apply to a proposed energy corridor and liquefied natural gas facilities, upgrades to the Hudson Bay Railway to support a Class 1 rail line, and marine icebreaking capacity or ice-class ships for year-round shipping — upgrades new studies estimate would cost $100 million to $130 million. It would also cover other work tied to the broader Port of Churchill Plus project.

Kinew will hold bilateral meetings with global investment firms over the next two days, pitching the port alongside mining, infrastructure and agriculture projects totalling more than $85 billion.

Finance Minister Adrien Sala and Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses are also attending, along with a Manitoba delegation that includes Indigenous leadership and business community representatives.

A major step for the Port of Churchill ???

I was honoured to give the opening remarks at the Canadian Global Growth Forum.

400 years ago, a port on Hudson’s Bay helped build this country from the beginning.

And now, we are building again. This time it will be the port of… pic.twitter.com/JLSaOC2qwY

— Wab Kinew (@WabKinew) September 14, 2026

By Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

People wait to cross a road at Google headquarters on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Mountain View, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Google is bringing its age assurance technology — which uses artificial intelligence to detect underage users — to Canada.

“Our age estimation model uses machine learning to interpret a variety of signals already associated with a user’s account, such as the types of information a user has searched for or the categories of videos they’ve watched on YouTube,” the company said in a blog post Monday.

The company says that if the technology identifies someone as underage, their Google account will be changed to include additional protections, such as safeguards on content recommendations.

If it mistakenly identifies an adult as being under 18, the company says that person will be able to prove their age using things like a government ID or a selfie.

“In the coming days, we’ll begin to gradually roll out this technology in Canada, carefully monitoring progress as we expand its availability,” Jeanette Patell, director of government affairs and public policy at Google Canada, said in the post.

She said the company won’t be collecting any new information that isn’t already associated with the user’s account.

“Age assurance technology is becoming more widely available, and we’re encouraged to see its increasing adoption by other companies in recent months,” Patell wrote.

“While some would like a system that imposes a universal arbiter of age, we believe that liability and responsibility rest with every service owner — the developer, the publisher, the app creator — because they know their users and services best.”

The increasing use of age assurance technology comes as governments around the world, including in Canada, move to implement age restrictions for social media.

Meta has already started using AI to identify underage users and place them in teen accounts in Canada. The company said in September it would expand testing of the technology to countries outside the United States., including Canada.

Meta uses AI to look at context clues, such as birthday celebrations, to identify accounts that may be underage. In May, it said it would add “visual analysis” as a technique — which involves AI scanning photos and videos for “visual clues” to a user’s age.

Meta promised to implement child protection measures, including stronger measures to identify underage users, as part of a massive recent legal settlement in the United States. But the company has confirmed those changes won’t be coming to Canada.

Google’s announcement comes after the Liberal government introduced digital safety Bill C-34.

The legislation, which has not yet become law, would force social media platforms to at least temporarily block access for kids under 16. The government has not yet decided how age verification would work and has said it will consult with platforms on specific methods.

In December, Australia became the first country to implement age restrictions for social media. It introduced a law that requires social media platforms to take reasonable steps to keep kids under 16 from using their services. The law doesn’t include standards for age verification.

In the United Kingdom, legislation sets out seven separate methods of age verification for legal access to adult content.

They include facial age estimation (which involves a third-party service using a live image to estimate age), a digital ID, or using a credit card, a mobile network operator or a bank to verify age. It also allows for the use of email to estimate age through a process that looks at where an email address has been used previously.

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police “E” Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 13, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

A 40-year-old Steinbach man has died following a single-vehicle crash in the RM of Hanover.

Manitoba RCMP responded late Saturday night to a scene on Road 21 N, where a vehicle had rolled over. Officers located a man laying on the road behind the vehicle.

The driver and lone occupant was pronounced deceased on scene.

RCMP continue to investigate.

The Winnipeg Police Service headquarters is pictured in Winnipeg, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini)

An 18-year-old man is facing charges after a police pursuit tied to a reported abduction ended in a multi-vehicle crash.

Winnipeg police received a 911 call at around 1:45 p.m. on September 11 reporting a man forcing a woman into a green SUV near River Avenue and Donald Street.

Officers soon located a matching green 2023 Ford Bronco nearby. When they tried to stop it, the driver fled at high speed, striking a parked car before colliding with a police cruiser near Wellington Crescent.

Minutes later, the Bronco ran a stop sign at Broadway and Langside Street, hitting a Mitsubishi Outlander and pushing it into a building, then struck several parked vehicles before becoming inoperable.

Kesif Fontaine was arrested at the scene. All occupants of both vehicles were taken to hospital, and police say one person in the Outlander suffered serious injuries.

Manitoba’s Independent Investigation Unit has been notified.

An RCMP collar tab pin is seen in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)

Swan River RCMP are investigating after a 21-year-old man was found dead on Sapotaweyak Cree Nation last week.

Police received a report of a suspicious death on the First Nation on September 9, where officers located the man deceased on a community road.

An autopsy determined the preliminary cause of death was an animal attack, though the type of animal involved hasn’t been determined.

RCMP has notified Manitoba Conservation officials of the investigation and its findings.

The Winnipeg Police Service headquarters is pictured in Winnipeg, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert)

A 33-year-old man has been charged following a weapon-related assault at a bar on Henderson Highway in July.

Winnipeg police said the incident began shortly before midnight on July 4, when a dispute over a VLT ticket escalated inside the establishment in the 1000 block of Henderson Highway, and the suspect discharged a canister of bear spray at a 36-year-old man and into the bar area.

The suspect then moved into the parking lot, where he allegedly chased several victims while pointing what was later determined to be a Sig Sauer MCX air-powered rifle and making violent threats. He fled after discarding a backpack containing the air-powered rifle, bear spray canister, knife and a small quantity of suspected heroin, which was recovered by officers.

Matthew Joseph Marriott was identified as the suspect and arrested on September 10.

Marriott has been charged with multiple offences and remains in custody.

By Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press

Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Brady Oliveira (20) gets stopped by Saskatchewan Roughriders as he runs for the first down during first-half CFL action in Winnipeg, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

Willie Jefferson didn’t mince words when explaining the importance of safety Redha Kramdi to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defence.

Back from a full stint on the six-game injured list with a broken bone in his left hand, Kramdi looked no worse for wear, forcing a fumble and making a late game-sealing interception to help beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-6 in the annual Banjo Bowl at Princess Auto Stadium Saturday afternoon.

“Having him on the field, being able to communicate to the back end, but then being able to step into the box and let the linebackers and the defensive line know how we want the defence to move on certain downs and distance,” Jefferson said. “(He) played a huge role.”

Indeed, Kramdi’s skill set was on full display, with the 29-year-old Kramdi forcing a critical fumble midway through the first quarter with the Roughriders threatening, and then picking off Roughriders’ quarterback Trevor Harris midway through the fourth quarter with the Bombers protecting a 10-point lead.

“Guys know where to go to for the answers after hours when coaches are off planning, and they need to watch more film or text somebody, they go to Redha,” Blue Bombers coach Mike O’Shea said. “He’s not underrated in this building. I don’t think he’s underrated in the league, either.”

Winnipeg improved to 7-6 with the win and are back in the thick of the West Division playoff race. The Edmonton Elks (9-3) and Roughriders (8-5) remain ahead, while the B.C. Lions (6-6) and Calgary Stampeders (5-7) trail just behind. The Stampeders, Lions and Elks were all playing Saturday night.

With the season-series now settled, tied one game apiece, the Bombers claim the series tiebreaker owing to a higher point differential in the two games.

“It was a total, three-phase win. Our defence played lights-out,” running back Brady Oliveira said. “They were hitting from the first snap to the last snap.”

Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros lasted fewer than three quarters before being pulled with an undisclosed injury. He exited with a stat line of 13-for-19 passing for 175 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Collaros took a beating before leaving, suffering four of the Roughriders’ five sacks. Jake Ceresna had the lone sack for Winnipeg.

Dru Brown took over in relief and finished 4-for-5 for 46 passing yards, with zero touchdowns or interceptions.

The Bombers recorded 291 net yards on offence, with Tommy Nield scoring the lone touchdown. Sergio Castillo rounded out the scoring with four field goals, connecting from 31, 45, 44 and 36 yards.

Oliveira registered 100 yards on 14 rushes. The last time Oliveira rushed for more than a 100 yards against Saskatchewan’s defence was in the 2023 Banjo Bowl.

The Winnipeg native also became the first Canadian in CFL history to record five consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

“This is an incredible milestone, something I’m extremely proud about. No one else has ever done it,” Oliveira said. “But I’ve been very fortunate to have great offensive lines in front of me, year after year.”

Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Trey Vaval (23) and Nuer Gatkuoth (40) celebrate a win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders with the Banjo Bowl trophy following CFL football action in Winnipeg on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

The Roughriders are still firmly entrenched in second place in the West, behind only Edmonton. Saskatchewan finished with 278 yards of net offence and was a dismal 4-for-22 on second down.

Harris struggled to find a rhythm, registering 231 passing yards and completing 24 of his 45 attempts, along with one interception.

“We didn’t really get to stay on the field and get into a rhythm,” Harris said. “There were a few plays there where I thought we could have made, but they did a good job defensively.”

The Roughriders opted to bench struggling kicker Alex Hale, instead dressing Dawson Hodge, a 24-year-old out of Coquitlam, B.C. Hodge went two-for-two on field goals, including one from 33 yards.

Dhel Duncan-Busby led all receivers with 80 yards on seven catches, with running back Quali Conley limited to 35 yards on seven carries.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Nick Hallett (21) and Michael Chris-Ike (25) tackle Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Johnny Johnson (88) during second-half CFL football action in Winnipeg on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

The game opened as a defensive battle, with the first quarter scoreless and just a combined 13 points by halftime.

The Bombers opened the scoring early in the second quarter, with Collaros connecting with Nield on a 30-yard touchdown. Castillo added a field goal from 31 yards to increase Winnipeg’s lead, before Hodge split the uprights on a 33-yarder to make it a 10-3 game at halftime.

For Nield, who has struggled since signing with the Bombers during the off-season after a breakout year with the Riders in 2025, it was his first touchdown of the season.

After the two sides exchanged field goals in the third quarter to keep it a one-score game, 13-6, the Bombers added two more from Castillo to round out the scoring and secure the win.

“We cut it to a one-score game and then we fell into a hole of 10 points and that can kind of make you a little more one-dimensional,” Roughriders head coach Corey Mace said. “Versus that team and their defence, if you’re just going to sit back there all day, they can be challenging. Credit to them, they do a good job. Lots of respect for this team and that coaching staff.”

UP NEXT

Roughriders: Visit the B.C. Lions on Friday, Sept. 25.

Blue Bombers: Host the Toronto Argonauts on Friday, Sept. 25.

Main Street at Chief Peguis Trail (GOOGLE STREET VIEW)

Temporary lane and sidewalk closures are coming to Main Street near Chief Peguis Trail starting this weekend.

The closures run from noon on Sunday, September 13, until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 2.

The city says the following closures will be in effect:

• Southbound curb lane on Main Street from Chief Peguis Trail to Seaforth Avenue
• Southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane
• Westbound curb lane on Chief Peguis Trail (one of two westbound Chief Peguis Trail to southbound Main Street turning lanes)
• West sidewalk on Main Street between Chief Peguis Trail and Seaforth Avenue

Drivers are advised to plan ahead, use alternate routes, and expect delays in the area.

By Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press

The flags of Canada and the United States fly outside a hotel in downtown Ottawa, on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

Officials on both sides of the border are still talking even though there are no official trade negotiations underway, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Friday.

LeBlanc is in Banff, Alta, for the two-day Liberal cabinet retreat, where the ongoing trade war with the United States is a key topic.

He said he has no meetings in Washington scheduled but has spoken several times with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and sometimes also speaks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as well.

That included on Friday, when LeBlanc sent a text to Lutnick on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Lutnick’s brother Gary died in the North Tower of the World Trade Center that day.

“He has talked to me about often about what that meant for him and his family,” LeBlanc said. “So I sent him a message to say I was thinking about him,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc had multiple meetings with Greer in Washington over the summer, including an intense two weeks ahead of an August trade deadline imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, but those talks were suspended on Aug. 21.

They have not met since and LeBlanc said he has no formal scheduled meetings going forward. Speaking in French, he said even without formal negotiations, maintaining the relationship is important ‘for all kinds of reasons.”

That includes, he said, being ready for a possible deal that respects Canadian sovereignty and is the country’s national interest, and he said there are still conversations happening.

The two countries appeared to be on the verge of a deal in August to settle some outstanding trade irritants and prevent the U.S. from imposing a new round of punishing tariffs on Canada. But Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended those talks and summoned LeBlanc back to Canada, while accusing the Americans of making last minute demands that impacted Canada’s sovereignty.

Trump then imposed 50 per cent tariffs on nearly $28 billion in Canadian goods. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs took effect Tuesday and later that same day Trump signed new orders to ban imports of some Canadian products, including most alcohol. He also added new products to the tariff list and took some off it, including toilet paper, cement and road salt.

Both sides blame the other for the impasse.

Asked about reports that Mexico and the U.S. are getting closer to reaching a bilateral trade agreement, LeBlanc said Canadian officials also talk with their counterparts in Mexico.

“They’ve been at this for a number of months,” he said. “We’re focused on the work that we need to do both in the bilateral discussions with the United States and obviously around the review of CUSMA, the trilateral agreement.”

The Trump administration did not extend CUSMA in July. That triggered an annual rolling review of the trade deal that could continue for up to a decade. The deal will expire after that review if all three countries can’t agree on an extension.

LeBlanc said he was encouraged by recent comments by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum that suggested it would be beneficial for all three countries to work at the same table.

“We remain optimistic that we’ll get there, and the Mexicans in that sense are very much in the same vein as us,” said LeBlanc.

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham speaks at a rally prior to the 2024 Winnipeg Pride Parade, on Sunday, June 2, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Daniel Crump)

Scott Gillingham is proposing a new $60-million fund to renew aging community recreation infrastructure across Winnipeg, pointing to a worn-down football field in Westdale as an example of the need.

The incumbent Winnipeg mayor held a news conference on Friday in Charleswood as part of his re-election campaign.

“I’ve already committed to eliminate fees for basic volunteer criminal record checks,” Gillingham said. “We need to make sure [volunteers] have good fields, community centres and recreation facilities to work with.”

The plan would create a $60-million community recreation asset renewal fund, starting with a $20-million city commitment while seeking matching investment from other levels of government and private partners, to support repairs and renewal of community centres and local recreation facilities.

It would also renew two aging sports fields each year with artificial turf beginning in 2027, and provide dedicated staff support to help volunteer community-centre boards with governance, project planning and securing funding.

Gillingham said the commitments build on the city’s recent recreation investments, including the new South Winnipeg Recreation Campus and expanded spray pad network, while addressing neighbourhood facilities that have “been waiting too long for basic renewal.”

The civic election is October 28.

Winnipeg police say a 37-year-old woman is facing drug trafficking charges after a traffic stop turned up more than a kilogram of methamphetamine.

Officers initiated an investigation in August 2026 involving an individual believed to be involved in drug trafficking.

Police conducted a traffic stop on a 2010 Mazda 3 at Fermor Street and Murdock Road just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, arresting the woman without incident. A search of the vehicle turned up 1.07 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $7,000, along with approximately $275 in Canadian currency.

The woman is facing multiple drug-related charges and released on an undertaking.