Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …
Tributes for Quebec pilot killed in N.Y. crash
The death of Air Canada Jazz pilot Antoine Forest, who perished when his plane collided with an emergency vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday, has sparked an outpouring of sympathy in his hometown southwest of Montreal.
Since late Monday, many citizens have been calling city hall in Coteau-du-Lac to offer their condolences to the family of Forest, who died alongside co-pilot Mackenzie Gunther.
The attention has surprised and touched the mayor and city staff.
Mayor Andrée Brosseau told The Canadian Press that they’ve been directing people to their Facebook page, where a post about the pilot’s death has garnered hundreds of comments and shares.
Canada losing more air controllers than it’s hiring
An aviation expert says Canada is losing more air traffic controllers to retirement than it is hiring, despite efforts to ramp up recruitment.
John Gradek, a faculty lecturer with McGill University’s aviation management program, said Canada is short about 1,500 air traffic controllers, and 150 more retire each year.
“So guess what? You’re not even covering off retirements,” Gradek said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Gradek said air traffic controllers are highly specialized with a “special skill set.”
“We know three dimensions. The trick about controllers is they need a fourth dimension, and they have to understand the fourth dimension being time,” Gradek told The Canadian Press.
GAC laying off highest-skilled diplomats: union
The union representing staff at Global Affairs Canada says the foreign service is laying off dozens of its highest-skilled diplomats, while asking other envoys moving across continents to wait months for their personal items.
The cuts come as Global Affairs Canada sets out its plans to meet budget belt tightening requirements laid out by Prime Minister Mark Carney last year.
The department targets for layoffs are causing an uproar among former diplomats and international relations experts, who say the government’s cuts are odds with Ottawa trying to gain influence at a time of geopolitical calamity.
“The attrition rate that they’re looking at is going to hit missions abroad pretty hard,” said Pam Isfeld, a career diplomat and president of the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers.
Developers getting creative with incentive offers
If lower interest rates can’t push homebuyers off the sidelines, perhaps a year’s worth of free borrowing costs will.
That’s the hope for one developer whose offer joins a growing list of incentives aimed at luring buyers, as hesitation lingers across most major housing markets in Canada.
The campaign announced last week by Mattamy Homes would see the firm cover mortgage payments for up to a year on its new builds located within six neighbourhoods in the Calgary and Edmonton areas. Eligible properties must be ready for occupancy by the end of 2026 and Mattamy has capped the total incentive at roughly $50,000, suggesting a home worth up to about $1.02 million.
“I’d be lying if I told you there wasn’t some degree of this being born out of a need,” said David Wan, vice-president of sales for Mattamy Homes’ Alberta division, in an interview.
Customers brace for N.S. Power rate decision
Nova Scotians are expected to find out today how much their power rates are going up.
The provincial regulator is planning to release its decision on Nova Scotia Power’s request for a pair of rate increases.
The privately-owned electric utility is seeking a 3.8 per cent power rate bump retroactive to Jan. 1, and a 4.1 per cent hike that would come into effect Jan. 1, 2027.
The company says the increases are needed to strengthen the grid, expand tree-trimming and improve its response to extreme weather events.
Liberals to debate banning kids from social media
Age restrictions on using social media accounts and AI chatbots are among the topics up for debate when Liberal party grassroots gather next month for their national convention.
There are 24 different policy resolutions that are on the agenda when party rank-and-file meet in Montreal for their convention April 9 through 11.
Two of them try to tackle ongoing concerns about the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on children and youth.
One resolution from Quebec calls for anyone under the age of 16 to be banned from accessing “all AI chatbots and other potentially harmful forms of AI interaction,” such as ChatGPT.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026
The Canadian Press
