Good morning. Canadian leaders have their eyes on the prize: reduced trade barriers. More on the most recent provincial moves, plus updates to prairie wildfire news and the final days of Hudson’s Bay. Let’s get to it.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, left, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford during a media event to sign a memorandum of understanding in Saskatoon on Sunday.Liam Richards/The Canadian Press
TOP STORY
Provinces strike their own deals ahead of meeting
The latest: Ahead of today’s first ministers’ meeting, the government of Ontario signed agreements with Saskatchewan, Alberta and Prince Edward Island. Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing pressure to support a new oil pipeline and repeal a federal environmental review law.
What’s next: Carney will meet with the premiers in Saskatoon, with a focus expected on the debate over which projects to pursue in the national interest, and how to move forward working with Indigenous communities.
Government staffing: Sources say that Carney has selected former United Nations ambassador Marc-André Blanchard as his permanent chief of staff. Former justice minister David Lametti will take over as principal secretary.
Government statement: For the first time, the national science academies of the G7 have issued a declaration in support of academic freedom and research integrity.
Also read: The Bank of Canada is expected to hold its key interest rate steady on Wednesday.
A water bomber drops a load on the Nopiming Provincial Park wildfire in Manitoba on May 29.Manitoba Government/Reuters
Wildfires
Manitoba and Saskatchewan order evacuations for wildfires
The latest: Fire crews in northern Manitoba have so far been able to contain a wildfire that forced thousands from their homes. In Saskatchewan, more residents have been told to leave because of a fast-moving blaze. More than 17,000 people have been displaced in Manitoba.
What’s next: Indigenous evacuees are finding few options to relocate as wildfires approach. Leaders are calling on the provinces to provide hotel space to allow better conditions, rather than cots in stadiums.
Local resident Lyudmila Tsinkush leaves her house that was damaged in a Russian drones strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, June 1.Thomas Peter/Reuters
World
Ukraine destroys more than 40 Russian military aircraft
The latest: Yesterday, Ukraine’s Security Service said that a Ukrainian drone attack destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia’s territory. Meanwhile, Moscow continued to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones.
What’s next: The attack came the same day that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country will send a delegation to Istanbul for a new round of direct peace talks with Russia today.
Katergo beach in Folegandros Island Cyclades Greece.ApostolosGR/Getty Images
How We Live
Where to go in Europe to avoid the crowds
The latest: We created an insiders’ guide with the help of locals who share six delightful destinations within easy reach of major airports to visit in Europe this summer. From Antwerp to Valencia, our writers talk about their connection to home and how travellers can get the most out of a visit to their corners of the world.
Where to next: In Portugal, Porto’s oldest port wine house wants to channel the city’s new energy into a revival of its signature drink.
Read more: Tips and deals to help maximize your summer vacation dollars.
Business
Inside the final days of Hudson’s Bay
The latest: Welcome to the final days of Hudson’s Bay Co., as the 355-year-old retailer prepares to close its doors for the last time. The department-store chain completed its final liquidation sale yesterday.
What’s next: By next week, more than 8,300 people will have lost their jobs. “We get no severance,” said Rosie Wright, who had been with the company 20 years. “You work all this time, and we are leaving with nothing.”
Bookmarked
- Israel-Gaza: More than 30 Palestinians were killed and more than 170 wounded while heading to a Gaza aid hub, health officials and witnesses say.
- For your finances: As Canada stares down the barrel of tariffs, we ask experts how to win this new war.
- Conversation starter: A new bid to prevent children from accessing pornography sites could bring in face or hand scans as a way to estimate a person’s age.
- Film: On the beaches of Cannes, TIFF maps out its ambitious future.
- Ask a doctor: What should I know about ticks and Lyme disease?
The Quote
As the infiltration of its terminology into our everyday lives might suggest, Survivor didn’t just change reality TV; it changed our culture.
Survivor premiered on May 31, 2000. The new reality competition didn’t just change television, it plausibly played a part in creating a “reality-TV President,” Danielle J. Lindemann writes a quarter-century later.
The Shot
Reginald Nitsiza, 47, and his daughter Jessa, stand in his yard in Whati, Northwest Territories, on May 28.Pat Kane/The Globe and Mail
In Whatì, NWT, a remote community of about 550, diehard Edmonton Oilers fans are everywhere.