Business – Brandon Sun

The WestJet check-in area at Pearson International Airport is photographed in Toronto, Saturday, June 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov”

WestJet to add surcharge to some bookings and combine flights due to fuel costs

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: 5:15 PM CDT

Calgary-based WestJet says it will be introducing a temporary $60 surcharge for certain bookings and has consolidated numerous flights due to skyrocketing fuel prices.

The airline said in an email the additional charge will be included with all bookings made with a companion voucher after this Wednesday.

It has also combined some flights on lower demand routes, reducing the number of flights by approximately one per cent in April and three per cent in May. It said most clients have been provided accommodation options due to the consolidations.

"Fuel is the largest contributor to airline operating costs, and a temporary surcharge helps us manage the recent surge in fuel prices ... We will continue to assess the surcharge and adjust as conditions allow," a spokesperson said in an email Sunday.

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Champagne says boosting financial trade with China key to broader diversification

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Champagne says boosting financial trade with China key to broader diversification

David Baxter, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

OTTAWA - Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne wrapped up a trip to Beijing where he said the governor of the Bank of Canada and other top Canadian financial officials met with Chinese counterparts.

Champagne said that he met with Lan Fo'an, China's finance minister, and Vice Premier He Lifeng to talk about ways the Canadian financial services sector can increase operations in the country. He said this includes Canadian banks getting more licenses to offer a wider range of services in China and increased access to bond markets.

"If you want to expand your trade, you need financial services. You need to be able to provide that kind of services to the exporters that want to do more in the Chinese market," Champagne said.

The minister added he expects Lifeng to visit Canada in the near future.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Minister of Finance and National Revenue Francois-Philippe Champagne outlines the government's plan to launch consultations for a new National Anti-Fraud Strategy to combat surging financial crimes, during a press conference in Montreal on Monday, March 30, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ cast aren’t the only influencers sowing curiosity about the church

Kaitlyn Huamani And Krysta Fauria, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ cast aren’t the only influencers sowing curiosity about the church

Kaitlyn Huamani And Krysta Fauria, The Associated Press 7 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Until quite recently, the prevailing image to outsiders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been male missionaries wearing white shirts and name tags, evoked by the hit Broadway show “The Book of Mormon.”

But another unofficial face of the male-led church has emerged in American pop culture: digitally savvy, female influencers, often seen sporting athleisure, a giant soda in hand — and varying degrees of adherence to church teachings.

These influencers have found an enthusiastic audience across the country, curious about their faith and families. Some explain the tenets of what's widely known as the Mormon church, but others bring attention to the rules they often break — drinking alcohol, having premarital sex and in one high-profile instance, a “soft-swinging” scandal that birthed the hugely popular Hulu reality series, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

ABC sought to capitalize on that interest by casting “Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul in “The Bachelorette,” but recently had to scuttle the already filmed season after a video of a domestic violence incident surfaced.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

FILE - Jen Affleck, from left, Layla Taylor, Miranda McWhorter, and Jessi Draper Ngatikaura participate in Hulu's

‘The most lasting legacy:’ Famed Alberta mantle geochemist namesake of new mineral

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

‘The most lasting legacy:’ Famed Alberta mantle geochemist namesake of new mineral

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

EDMONTON - From the coalfields of northern England to the Arctic snows and the steaming jungles of Brazil, diamond hunter and scholar Graham Pearson has carved a name for himself that now lives on in rock.

Pearson, a mantle geochemist with the University of Alberta in Edmonton, has had a new mineral – Grahampearsonite -- approved by the International Mineralogical Association.

It recognizes a lifetime of work on diamonds, including his work in Brazil where he and a team made discoveries over a decade ago that helped explain, through deep-mine diamonds the composition and water content of the Earth's deep mantle.

"The most lasting legacy of our work as scientists is really the data we produce … but those ideas get modified,” Pearson said in a recent interview.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Graham Pearson, a a mantle geochemist with the University of Alberta, pictured in Edmonton on Thursday March 26, 2026. Pearson has a newly found mineral named for him. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

These Ukrainians want to thrive in Canada. For most of them, the future is uncertain

Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press 12 minute read Preview

These Ukrainians want to thrive in Canada. For most of them, the future is uncertain

Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press 12 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

TORONTO - After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, nearly 300,000 Ukrainians were welcomed in communities across Canada as part of an emergency visa program that allowed those fleeing the war to temporarily work and study in the country.

Many of those who have chosen to stay face an uncertain future as their Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel visas expire. They have to apply to extend their status, without a clear path to permanent residency.

"What I'm hearing from people, from our community leaders … is there's a lot of anxiety about their ability to stay in Canada," said Ihor Michalchyshyn, the outgoing CEO and executive director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

"People have four years in, children are growing up in Canada, and people are developing roots here, but they're still on this temporary status."

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

People rally on Parliament Hill to mark the 3rd anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in Ottawa, on Feb. 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Credit rating agency says Manitoba’s budget plan is inconsistent with economic growth

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Credit rating agency says Manitoba’s budget plan is inconsistent with economic growth

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

WINNIPEG - A report from a major credit-rating agency is raising questions about the Manitoba government's plan to reduce the deficit this year and balance the budget next year.

Moody's, in a report issued last week, said the province's plan to slash annual deficits, last estimated at more than $1.6 billion for the fiscal year that ended in March, does not appear to line up with the government's own economic growth projections. Economic growth leads to more tax revenue.

"The budget expects slow but steady economic performance, with real (gross domestic product) growth of 1.3 per cent in 2026 and 1.7 per cent in 2027, although we note that the rapid pace of projected fiscal improvement appears inconsistent with this slow growth," the report says.

Moody's also raises a cautionary note about the budget's projections for a big turnaround and profit at Crown-owned Manitoba Hydro.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala poses with the provincial budget after speaking to the media at the legislature in Winnipeg, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski

Calgary lifts water restrictions after 3 weeks as work continues to replace pipe

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Calgary lifts water restrictions after 3 weeks as work continues to replace pipe

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

CALGARY - Residents in Calgary and surrounding communities are once again free to shower and flush at will as the latest fixes have been completed on a fragile – and mortally wounded – water main.

"As of today, you can resume normal water use," Michael Thompson, Calgary’s general manager for infrastructure services announced Thursday, less than four weeks after the voluntary restrictions began on March 9.

"Recreation facilities are returning to normal operations. Hot tubs and kiddie pools are being refilled and will reopen as soon as they are ready."

Residents had been urged to take shorter showers and reduce toilet flushes, laundry and dishwasher loads. The city also banned outdoor water use.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Crews continue to work to repair a major water main break and five other weak spots in Calgary, Saturday, June 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

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Kids ate the multiplex: How family movies are taking over moviegoing, one blockbuster at a time

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Kids ate the multiplex: How family movies are taking over moviegoing, one blockbuster at a time

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press 5 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — As “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” lands in theaters, coloring stations, collectible popcorn containers and mascot Marios are all in place to entice arguably the most prized moviegoers to Hollywood today: kids.

By Sunday, Universal Pictures expects the five-day opening of the “Super Mario” sequel to reach $186 million domestically, and around $350 million worldwide. That would make it easily the biggest hit of the year, surpassing a pair of successes that also launched with young moviegoers in mind: Pixar’s “Hoppers” ($297 million worldwide) and Amazon MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” ($300.8 million).

It’s not the start of a new trend but the culmination of one. In 2024, PG-rated movies outgrossed any other rating for the first time in decades, with $3.18 billion in domestic ticket sales according to Comscore. Five of the top six movies worldwide were PG movies: “Inside Out 2,” “Moana 2,” “Despicable Me 4,” “Wicked” and “Mufasa: The Lion King.”

Last year was no different. PG-rated films amassed $2.96 billion, again besting the longtime leader, PG-13. The top draws globally were “Ne Zha 2,” “Zootopia 2,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “A Minecraft Movie” and the PG-13-rated but not exactly kid-adverse “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Charlie Day, from left, Jack Black, Donald Glover, Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Benny Safdie and Keegan Michael Key pose for photographers at the photo call for the film

It’s International Fact-Checking Day. Refresh your AI identification skills

Melissa Goldin And Barbara Whitaker, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

It’s International Fact-Checking Day. Refresh your AI identification skills

Melissa Goldin And Barbara Whitaker, The Associated Press 4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Artificial intelligence-generated content is everywhere these days, making it increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction, particularly when it comes to breaking news.

Look no further than the Iran war. Since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, researchers have identified an unprecedented number of false and misleading images that were generated using artificial intelligence and have reached countless people around the world. Among them, fake footage of bombings that never happened, images of soldiers who were supposedly captured and propaganda videos created by Iran that depict President Donald Trump and others as blocky, Lego-like miniatures.

Thursday, the 10th annual International Fact-Checking Day, provides a good opportunity to look at these evolving challenges.

Misinformation created with AI is being shared with unprecedented speed from an endless number of sources. From the outset of the Iran war, accounts from all sides of the conflict promoted such content.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

FILE - In this image from video circulating on social media, protesters dance and cheer around a bonfire as they take to the streets of Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP, File)

Calgary officials say city on track to lift water restrictions Thursday

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Calgary officials say city on track to lift water restrictions Thursday

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

CALGARY - Officials say the city is on track to lift water restrictions Thursday after completing repairs on the Bearspaw South Feeder Main that ruptured in December.

The city says pumps have been turned on and the water main is operational.

However, restrictions remain in place while crews monitor the pipe and water system to ensure they are stable.

The city says if everything goes as planned, Calgarians will no longer need to take shorter showers or reduce toilet flushes as well as laundry and dish loads.

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Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas speaks outside of city council chambers, in Calgary, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dayne Patterson

Calgary home sales fall 13 per cent in March as condo demand pulls back: board

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Calgary home sales fall 13 per cent in March as condo demand pulls back: board

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

CALGARY - Home sales in the City of Calgary moved lower in March compared with a year ago amid a pullback in condo activity, as increased supply and slower migration has spread out demand across available inventory.

The Calgary Real Estate Board says 1,881 total homes changed hands last month, down 12.8 per cent year-over-year, as the city's residential benchmark price fell 4.2 per cent to $565,600.

The board's chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie says the market ranges from tighter conditions for detached homes to a buyers' market for apartment-style properties.

Apartment and row-style homes saw year-over-year price decreases of 9.3 per cent and 6.2 per cent, respectively.

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Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

Calgary's skyline is seen behind the Saddledome, home of the Calgary Flames, in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, March 12, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Historic Saskatchewan town of Duck Lake fails in bid to sell naming rights

Fakiha Baig and Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Historic Saskatchewan town of Duck Lake fails in bid to sell naming rights

Fakiha Baig and Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

Duck Lake — a Saskatchewan community steeped in history that includes Louis Riel and the Northwest Rebellion — will not be renamed for a corporate sponsor.

The mayor says a campaign accepting bids to buy the naming rights to the town is dead but admits the bad blood it spawned lives on.

"Lots of people still won't even look at me anymore. They're quite angry about it," Mayor Jason Anderson said in an interview.

On Tuesday, the deadline passed for the town, located north of Saskatoon, to accept sealed bids from businesses to pony up and take over the town name.

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Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

RCMP members, who will be in the colour guard, enter the Belle-a-dome before a Remembrance Day service in Duck Lake, Sask., on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen lifts off on historic moon mission Artemis II

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen lifts off on historic moon mission Artemis II

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

CAPE CANAVERAL -

With a fiery roar from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Canadian Jeremy Hansen was one of four astronauts that launched to the moon aboard the Artemis II on Wednesday.

Hansen broadcast a message just before liftoff: "We are going for all humanity."

He is joined by veteran NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch.

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Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

Artemis 2 crew member Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, of Canada, speaks to the media after the crew's arrival at the Kennedy Space Center Friday, March 27, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Construction work officially begins on $3-billion wind farm northeast of Quebec City

Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Construction work officially begins on $3-billion wind farm northeast of Quebec City

Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

BEAUPRÉ - Construction on a major wind farm northeast of Quebec City has been officially launched, with an investment of $3 billion.

The first two phases of the Des Neiges wind farm — the southern sector and the Charlevoix sector — will comprise a total of 114 turbines and generate 800 Megawatts of wind energy, enough to power 140,000 homes.

The project by Quebec's hydro utility, Boralex, and Énergir — the largest natural gas distributor in the province — is to be located on the grounds of the Séminaire de Québec in the Charlevoix region.

The third phase, if completed, will bring the farm's output to 1,200 Megawatts and contribute Hydro-Québec's goal of adding 10,000 MW of wind power to its current portfolio of 4,000 MW by 2035.

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Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

Quebec Premier François Legault makes an announcement regarding the Des Neiges wind farm project in Beaupré, Que., on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot.

BC Ferries route disrupted over generator problem on vessel scuttles sailings

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

BC Ferries route disrupted over generator problem on vessel scuttles sailings

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

VICTORIA - Passengers on a BC Ferries sailing from Metro Vancouver to Vancouver Island had to unload from a vessel Tuesday after a "mechanical difficulty" with the ship's generator.

BC Ferries says multiple sailings on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route — one of its busiest — were cancelled for the day due to the breakdown on the Spirit of Vancouver Island, starting with the 9 a.m. sailing.

The operator says crews identified the problem after the vessel was already loaded, and its inability to sail forced the unloading, with videos on social media showing vehicles having to reverse in the process of getting off the ferry.

Cancellations on the route on Tuesday were later extended to sailings at 1 p.m., 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., as well as their corresponding return sailings from Vancouver Island.

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Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

The BC Ferries vessel Spirit of Vancouver Island leaves Tsawwassen, B.C., bound for Swartz Bay, on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Alberta moves to designate official Alberta whisky label

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Alberta moves to designate official Alberta whisky label

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

EDMONTON - Alberta is aiming to regulate who can slap an Alberta whisky stamp on spirits produced in the province.

In tabling the bill Tuesday, it said it may be the first government in Canada to use artificial intelligence to help draft legislation.

Premier Danielle Smith said distillers told her government that they're making high-quality whisky but face challenges differentiating their products from other Canadian whisky on the market.

"We think there's an obvious solution to this challenge: define what Alberta whisky is and protect it in legislation," the premier said.

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Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2026

April 5, 2026

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