Nova Scotia marks its first Acadian Heritage Month with flag raising

EDMONTON – The federal housing minister and the Alberta minister in charge of the file have spoken about funding to tackle encampments and homelessness.

The phone conversation comes after Housing Minister Sean Fraser said in a statement Tuesday that Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan hadn’t formally responded to an offer of funding.

Officials say that during the call, Jason Nixon, Alberta’s minister of seniors, community and social services, expressed his government’s continued willingness to partner with Ottawa and to cost-match the additional federal funding.

They say Nixon and Fraser agreed to provide the initial funding to the “priority communities” of Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Red Deer.

Officials say the ministers have directed their respective camps to meet in the coming days to hammer out a deal that would see the money go to those communities on an urgent basis.

Nixon had earlier said his officials have been actively meeting with Ottawa on the file, the province hadn’t received any deal and he wasn’t aware of any deadline.

Ottawa committed $250 million over two yearsin its budget to provide more shelter spaces, transitional homes, harm reduction spaces and services.

Fraser said Tuesday that Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan had yet to officially get on board.

The minister said he reached out with a Sept. 18 letter looking to work with all provinces and territories.

“In the letter, we offered millions of dollars in additional funding in exchange for partnering with us and matching our contributions,” he said.

Fraser said he would go straight to cities to try to quickly match funding costs, including Edmonton and Calgary.

“We will no longer wait for (provinces) to muster the political will to act as winter gets closer and lives are put at risk,” he said.

Nixon called Fraser’s comments “bizarre and almost childish,” saying officials on both sides had been meeting, including as recently as Monday, to discuss a cost-matching agreement.

“We have no idea what Minister Fraser is talking about. And I’m not going to get too bogged down in it, because we’ve got bigger jobs to do than to play games with the federal government,” said Nixon.

“We were interested in the conversation, which is why we were participating in it. But we certainly don’t have any offer, and we certainly were never given any sort of deadline.”

Ontario Housing Minister Paul Calandra was likewise confounded by Fraser’s move.

“Up until today, we were under the impression that we were still working with the federal government on this matter,” he said in a Tuesday statement, adding that he looks forward to a meeting with Fraser scheduled for next week.

Saskatchewan is in the middle of a provincial election campaign, with election day on Monday. Its government officially dissolved Oct. 1.

Fraser acknowledged in his statement that some provinces had entered election periods since he sent his original letter but said there was “ample engagement before the letter was sent, and there is no longer time to wait as the weather gets colder.”

In a statement on Wednesday before the phone call with Nixon, Fraser’s office repeated that the deadline is the cold weather that’s beginning to set in and put unhoused people at risk.

“When we sent our original letter, we asked the government of Alberta to indicate which municipalities need the funding, and this has yet to be responded to, we can’t wait any longer and neither can those living in encampments,” it said.

Nixon said conversations between officials indicated there could be $17 million a year for two years, to be matched by the Alberta government.

He said the province is prepared for winter with its emergency shelter capacity.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government has passed legislation to gatekeep and veto any deal struck between municipalities and the federal government. The law isn’t expected to come into force until early 2025.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

OTTAWA – Here are some notable quotes from Liberal members of Parliament as they headed into a caucus meeting Wednesday where they are set to debate Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership.

Comments made after the caucus meeting:

“The Liberal party is strong and united.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

———

“Justin Trudeau is reflecting and he’s standing strong and we’re standing strong as a Liberal party.”

“We as a party recognize that the real threat here is Pierre Poilievre and that’s what we’re fighting for.”

“Trudeau has made very clear that he feels he’s the right choice but he appreciates all of what is being said because he’s reflecting on what is being done across Canada. I respect his decision, whatever that may be.”

Charles Sousa, MP for Mississauga—Lakeshore

———

“We had some open and frank discussions. People are relentlessly focused on serving Canadians and win the next election. This was really a rallying call to win the next election.”

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, MP for Saint Maurice—Champlain

———

“I don’t know how many people spoke, well over 50 I’m sure. They came at this from all angles and now (we’ve) got to go back and process this.

“We’re on a good path.

“It was very respectful. You know, caucus has always had the ability to get into some tough conversations. We did it again today and it went extremely well. Where we land? Who knows? You know we have to go and really process this stuff. But one thing that is absolutely, you know, fundamental is that we are united in the fact that we cannot let that creature from the Conservative party run the country. He would ruin things that people greatly value.”

Ken Hardie, MP for Fleetwood—Port Kells

———

Comments from before the caucus meeting:

“There’s a — what would you call it? Some palace drama going on right now. And that takes us away from the number 1 job, which is focusing on Canadians and focusing on the important policies but also on showing the really clear contrast between our government, our party and Pierre Poilievre.”

Randy Boissonnault, Employment Minister, MP for Edmonton Centre

———

“We’re going to go in there and we’re going to have an excellent discussion and we are going to emerge united.”

Treasury Board President and Transport Minister Anita Anand, MP for Oakville

———

“I think caucus is nervous because of the polling that has been constantly going down in favour of Liberals, and there’s a lot of people who do want to run again. I’m not running again, although I already told the prime minister that. But there are people there that want to run again and they’re nervous because of what polls are saying.”

“He has to start listening.”

Ken McDonald, MP for Avalon

———

“We’re going to have a good caucus meeting. MPs should be free to air their perspectives, I’m sure they will, and we’ll come out of it united.”

Peter Fragiskatos, MP for London North Centre

———

“I have to read the room. There’s all sorts of wheels within wheels turning right now. I’m just going to go in there, I’m going to make my mind a blank and just soak it all in.”

“I’m not going to say anything about (the prime minister) until I have my say in there.”

Ken Hardie, MP for Fleetwood—Port Kells

———

“I wish there was a mechanism for it, yes,” he said, responding to whether he wanted a secret ballot vote in caucus to determine Trudeau’s leadership.

Sean Casey, MP for Charlottetown

———

“The prime minister will always be on my posters and he is welcome in Winnipeg North any time.”

Kevin Lamoureux, MP for Winnipeg North

———

“Absolutely I support the prime minister.”

Yvonne Jones, MP for Labrador

———

“When you look divided, you look weak.”

Judy Sgro, MP for Humber River—Black Creek

———

“I think Pierre Poilievre is absolutely beatable, he’s ripe for the picking with the right vision, the right leadership and the right direction for our party. The Liberal party is an institution in this country. It’s bigger than one person, one leader, and it’s incumbent on us as elected officials to make sure we put the best foot forward.”

Wayne Long, MP for Saint John—Rothesay

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

FREDERICTON – Chief Allan Polchies says he is excited about New Brunswick’s new Liberal provincial government.

Polchies, of St. Mary’s First Nation, says he looks forward to meaningful dialogue with premier-designate Susan Holt after years of tense relations with the outgoing Progressive Conservatives under Blaine Higgs.

He is one of six Wolastoqey Nation chiefs who have filed a land claim for a significant part of the province, arguing treaty rights have not been respected by corporations and governments, both of which have exploited the land for hundreds of years.

The December 2021 court challenge has been a sore point between Indigenous Peoples and the Higgs’s government.

Eight Mi’kmaw communities are also asserting Aboriginal title to land in the province, and they say they hope to work with Holt and her team on “advancing issues that are important to our communities.”

Holt’s campaign didn’t give details on the Liberal government’s position on the Indigenous claims, but she has said she wants to rebuild trust between the province and First Nations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

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