It’s Monday, May 4 (May the fourth be with you.) Here are the top stories we’re following today.
Alberta separatists submit 300K signatures as petition deadline hits
A referendum question asking Albertans whether the province should remain part of Canada or become an independent state looks increasingly likely, as leaders of the separatist movement announced a preliminary tally of 301,450 petition signatures.
Mark Carney, right, embraces Justin Trudeau at the Liberal leadership convention in Ottawa in March 2025.
Carney looks more like Trudeau with every update: Full Comment podcast
A year after the Liberals won re-election on promises to reverse the economic damage of the Trudeau era and strengthen Canada’s resilience internationally, Ian Lee, professor at Carleton’s Sprott School of Business, and the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy’s Carlo Dade argue the party risks causing further harm unless a new course is charted soon, especially with CUSMA renegotiations on the horizon.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney hold a meeting on the sidelines of the 8th European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan on May 4, 2026.
Europeans back Canada joining EU, poll finds. But membership faces long odds
A new poll finds many Europeans would support Canada joining the European Union, reflecting the growing transatlantic goodwill. But the idea is largely theoretical, since EU rules limit membership to European countries, making Canada’s induction highly unlikely.
An Ethiopian immigrant who pulled out a loaded handgun, pointed it at another driver and threatened to shoot during a fight in Calgary’s Mission district has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Immigrant who pointed loaded gun in Calgary road rage incident won’t face deportation, judge says
Under law, an immigrant to Canada sentenced to more than six months in prison is normally “subject to an automatic removal order,” but an Alberta judge says Ethiopian Thomas Kahsay Berhe won’t have to worry about being deported when his three-year sentence ends. That’s because the law also prohibits removal to “countries that are in a state of war or otherwise subject to violence, danger, terrorism, etc.; currently, Ethiopia is one such country.”
Transgender pride flags fly in the Calgary Municipal Plaza as hundreds gathered for the Transgender Day of Visibility on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Jamie Sarkonak: At a human rights tribunal, it’s better to be a transwoman
“Female spaces need to be protected — not just from male-bodied intrusions, but also from the creative reasoning by decision-makers who got us here in the first place,” contends Jamie Sarkonak.