In the news today: Freeland on trade, Carney in Alberta, Snowbirds take final flight

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Canada must diversify trade away from the U.S. for security reasons: Freeland

Former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada must do everything it can to diversify trade away from the United States. 

She told an audience in New York that it matters for national security, saying it’s dangerous to deepen or maintain a close economic relationship with a partner that openly wants to “take you over.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly mused about turning Canada into the 51st state and, while he ruled out using military force to annex the country, has said he would consider “economic force.”

Even if the U.S. had a president who believed in free trade with Canada, Freeland said relying on any one partner is not a great idea. 

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Carney to bring his pro-Canada campaign to Edmonton with referendum just days away

Prime Minister Mark Carney continues his pro-Canada campaign in Alberta as the clock ticks down to a referendum on Monday on whether the province should break up with Confederation.

He is set to visit Red Deer with Premier Danielle Smith today and later rally in Edmonton with the federalist group Forever Canadian.

Carney spoke Thursday at one of the group’s rallies in Calgary, telling the crowd of roughly 5,000 that a vote against Canada is a dangerous bluff that could lead to years of lost opportunities.

Meanwhile, Smith and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will both speak at a conference in Calgary about keeping Alberta in the Confederation fold.

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Quebec sovereigntists see fundamental rift with Alberta separatists

With just days before Alberta’s vote on an independence referendum, longtime Quebec sovereigntists are distancing themselves from the western province’s separatists.

Question 10 on Monday’s referendum ballot asks whether Alberta should remain in Canada or if the government should start the legal process to hold a subsequent, binding referendum on separation.

Quebecers may have a sense of déjà vu after voting on similar questions in 1980 and 1995, both times being defeated by a “No” side, but ardent sovereigntists see profound differences in the two movements.

Marie-Anne Alepin, from the Société St-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal, believes Alberta is using the threat of separatism as leverage in negotiations with Ottawa and the referendum as a means of pressure rather than a genuine desire to form a country.

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Stellantis workers set to vote on potential strike action this weekend

Stellantis workers in Canada will vote this weekend on whether to authorize a strike, as their union says contract talks with the automaker have stalled.

Unifor, which represents more than nine-thousand Stellantis workers, is holding strike votes Saturday and Sunday, but says authorization does not automatically mean a strike will happen.

The union says a strike mandate would give its bargaining committee leverage to reach a negotiated agreement, calling strike action a last resort.

Key sticking points include job security and the future of the Brampton, Ont., assembly plant, which Stellantis intends to sell to defence contractor Roshel.

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‘Goodbye to a good friend’: Snowbirds’ final show to be livestreamed today

The Royal Canadian Air Force’s Snowbirds perform their final air show with their Tutor jets in Moose Jaw, Sask., today, before the iconic aircraft are retired for good.

The annual season home closing show is set to be livestreamed online, though there will be one more chance to see the CT-114 Tutors in action before they are sent to Trenton, Ont., for disposal.

The Snowbirds are scheduled to perform a flyover at the Grey Cup game in Calgary on Nov. 15.

The aging Tutor jets are being retired and the Snowbirds will go on hiatus until the team can be trained on the replacement Pilatus aircraft, the CT-157 Siskin.

Captain Philip Rochon, the public affairs officer for the team, says it’s a bittersweet time as the pilots say goodbye to the planes the Snowbirds have flown for nearly six decades.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.