Good morning. One of Canada’s largest construction unions is back in the spotlight after both its top official and his wife, who was also a senior union official, resigned. More on that below, along with a meeting in Western Canada and negotiations in the Middle East. Let’s get to it.
An investigation by The Globe and Mail found that the owner of a numbered company that bought this $4-million property in Nobleton, Ont., was the Carpenters’ Regional Council.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
TOP STORY
Construction union boss quits amid probe over $4-million home
The latest: The head of the Carpenters’ Regional Council (CRC), one of Canada’s largest construction unions, has resigned amid an internal probe prompted by a Globe and Mail investigation that revealed the organization had bought a $4-million house that he and his wife lived in for two years.
The context: Earlier this month, The Globe reported that the CRC was placed under the supervision of its U.S.-based parent union, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, which launched an internal probe.
What else: The CRC says it has 60,000 members in 30 locals across Ontario and Western Canada. The union oversees hundreds of millions in pension funds and has received millions from the federal and Ontario governments for skills-training programs.
What’s next: The staff e-mails obtained by The Globe say the internal investigation has not yet been completed.
Iranians wave their national flag as they gather at Imam Khomeini Mosque to commemorate those killed in former wars and also those killed during the latest U.S.-Israel led war, in Tehran on Sunday.ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images
World
U.S. and Iran talks continue
The latest: Iran and the United States played down hopes for an imminent peace deal today, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the U.S. would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before exploring “alternatives.”
Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran was negotiating an end to the war and was not currently discussing nuclear issues.
What’s next: The deal, once reached, is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which would only begin to ease a worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict. Tehran closed the waterway in response to surprise U.S. and Israeli bombardment on Feb. 28. Experts say it could take months for shipping and prices to recover once the strait is reopened.
Celebrations of life, more informal and intimate than traditional funerals, are on the rise.Illustration by Nathalie Dion
How We Live
How to plan a meaningful event that remembers a life well lived
The latest: Funeral directors say that many Canadians are now choosing celebrations of life to remember their loved ones. While a traditional funeral remains deeply important for many others, celebrations of life are more informal and bring the personality, passions and quirks of the person who has died. Globe readers shared the creative ways they have honoured someone after a death – from planting flowers to running a marathon.
What’s next: When wanting to help someone who is grieving the death of a loved one, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are a few ideas of what you can do. Everyone experiences grief, but it can take so many forms. A therapist shares some concepts and strategies that may help you cope, even when grief is unpredictable.
Politics
Western Canadian premiers meet in Alberta
The latest: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced she would put a secession question on the province’s referendum ballot in October, under the Referendum Act. Despite accusations that this is “an attempt to evade” consultations with Indigenous groups, and an earlier court ruling on a similar question, legal experts say the new approach appears viable because the duty to consult Indigenous groups was determined under the Citizen Initiative Act.
What’s next: The annual Western premiers conference will take place Monday and Tuesday in Kananaskis, west of Calgary. They will discuss business, trade and their neighbouring relationships.
What else: For Ottawa and Alberta, the hardest part of agreeing on a pipeline plan is just beginning.
Security
Ontario to require disclosures of police data leaks that cause “harm”
The latest: Ontario’s privacy watchdog says changes to the province’s Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which were passed as part of the budget bill in April, could be gamechangers for police accountability for more than 40 police forces.
What’s next: Patricia Kosseim says there will be a “zero-tolerance policy” for database breaches by police. Next year, her office will have new powers to help investigate and prevent unauthorized snooping when amendments to municipal privacy legislation are scheduled to take effect. Under the watchdog’s new powers, police will have to notify both affected individuals and the privacy commissioner.
Bookmarked
- At home: Lawyers representing private landowners near Vancouver seek to retry the Cowichan Tribes title case today.
- Abroad: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says there are limits to collaboration with the U.S. government, citing defence of her country’s sovereignty.
- For your finances: The Globe and Mail’s definitive guide to the 101 best ETFs for 2026.
- For the outdoors: Tick season is here. How can you protect yourself?
- Conversation starter: White nationalists are using gym culture to appeal to disillusioned young men, with the language and incentives of physical fitness.
The Quote
There used to be a kind of shyness in the Canadian industry because it was so linked to the U.S. and so dependent on it. The willingness was there, but not so much the need. But that’s changing.
— Constance Richard, founder of the Paris-based film consultancy group Citizen Kino
Film industry players are laying the groundwork to disrupt American supremacy. In Cannes, writes Barry Hertz, a new cultural world order emerges.
The Shot
Jake Chung, 21, of Bellevue, Wash., is an undergraduate student studying finance who has been trading on prediction markets for income.M. Scott Brauer/The Globe and Mail
Prediction market trading is coming to Canada. The question is: Are we ready for the controversial practice of wagering on real-world events?
Editor’s note: The opening paragraph of Friday’s Morning Update mischaracterized the findings of radar technology used in Kamloops, B.C. Five years ago, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation issued a press release that said it had found the remains of 215 former residential school students using radar technology.