By Canadian Press

In the news today: Banff hosts G7 finance summit, western premiers meet in NWT

May 21, 2025 | 1:15 AM

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

G7 finance summit underway in Banff

Top economic officials from the G7 are gathering for a full day of closed-door discussions in Banff, Alta., to examine pressing topics including the global economy and the war in Ukraine.

The meeting in the Rocky Mountains, which wraps up Thursday, is a prelude to the G7 leaders summit in June in nearby Kananaskis, Alta.

It comes in the wake of global tariffs initiated in early April by the United States, which have caused many countries to reconsider their trading relationships.

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The office of U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he plans to use the meeting to “focus on the need to address global economic imbalances and non-market practices.”

Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he’s looking forward to meeting with Bessent to discuss frankly and openly how they can work together.

Western Canadian premiers to meet in Yellowknife

Premiers from Western Canada are to meet Wednesday to kick off a two-day conference in Yellowknife.

Set to attend are Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, British Columbia’s David Eby, Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe, Manitoba’s Wab Kinew, Nunavut’s P.J. Akeeagok, Yukon’s outgoing Premier Ranj Pillai and Northwest Territories Premier R.J. Simpson.

This annual conference comes two weeks before all Canada’s premiers are to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Saskatoon.

A statement from Simpson’s office last week said the western leaders are set to discuss a range of issues, including Arctic sovereignty, energy security, international trade and emergency preparedness.

Government must earn public servants’ trust: union

The head of one of Canada’s largest federal unions says the federal government needs to focus on repairing the relationship between public servants and management.

Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, said this is a “delicate moment” and that new Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali has his work cut out for him.

Prier said the Trudeau government made several questionable decisions that eroded trust among workers. They included a messy return-to-office rollout that was conducted without consulting employees, he said.

“Trust is pretty broken because of a long pattern of bad-faith consultation and disrespect for evidence-based decision making,” he said.

The previous government’s decision to require that public servants spend more time in the office sparked outrage among some public service unions. Several unions held rallies and filed grievances in response.

Hockey player testifies at ex-teammates’ trial

A former member of Canada’s world junior hockey team is expected to continue his testimony today at the sexual assault trial of five of his ex-teammates.

Brett Howden, who now plays in the NHL for the Vegas Golden Knights, began testifying by videoconference Tuesday.

Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Callan Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.

The charges relate to an encounter with a woman in a hotel room in London, Ont., in the early morning hours of June 19, 2018.

Oilers set to tackle Stars tonight in Texas

The Edmonton Oilers, a.k.a. Canada’s last team standing in the 2025 NHL playoffs, open the Western Conference final tonight at American Airlines Center facing a Dallas Stars’ squad bent on retribution.

The Oilers, who lost two of the first three games last year to the Stars before winning the best-of-seven West final 4-2, will start on the road this time around.

The Stars reached the final four this year by eliminating the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets in the second round, clinching the series at home with a 2-1 overtime victory in Game 6. The Oilers swept the Golden Knights aside in five games, winning the final game 1-0 in overtime on the road.

The Stars are led this time by playoff scoring leader Mikko Rantanen, who has nine goals and 19 points. Defenceman Thomas Harley has four goals and 11 points. Netminder Jake Oettinger has a .919 save percentage and shares the lead for wins with the Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky at eight apiece.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2025

The Canadian Press