Michael J. Fox promoted within Order of Canada - CBC

Spectators stood and applauded Michael J. Fox at Rideau Hall on Friday as Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour officially named the celebrated actor and Parkinson’s disease activist to the companion level of the Order of Canada. Rideau Hall says Fox was elevated to the companion level to honour his “powerful global advocacy and unflinching honesty about Parkinson’s.”Parkinson’s is a progressive nervous system disorder that causes tremors, stiffness and slowness, and is linked to depression and memory problems. Fox, who went public with his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1998, has raised $2.5 billion for research into the disease and has shared candid experiences about the challenges faced by those living with its symptoms. He was among 51 people inducted into, or promoted within, the Order of Canada on Friday. Arbour said each inductee has demonstrated excellence and thanked them for their work. Story continues below advertisement

ADVERTISEMENTWatchCanadian actor and and Parkinson’s disease activist Michael J. Fox has been officially named to the companion level of the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. October 02, 2026 at 1:04p.m. EDT

The 20th annual Cape to Cabot road race is taking place tomorrow. The grueling 20 km trek sees participants running from one historic landmark to another: From Cape Spear to Cabot Tower on top of Signal Hill. The race starts at 8 a.m., and because of that there are a few related road closures in St. John’s. Between 7:45 and 11a.m. there will be numerous road closures along the route. A full list can be found online at VOCM dot com. Expect traffic impacts from 7:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. on routes including Blackhead Road, Southside Road, Water Street, Harbour Drive, Duckworth Street, Temperance Street and Signal Hill Road.

On Monday, Albertans vote on whether to stay in Canada or hold another binding referendum on quitting Canada. If the vote goes as polls suggest, a majority of Albertans will mark an X to stay in Confederation, and Premier Danielle Smith has said if that’s so, she expects everyone to accept it and move on. Leaders of the independence movement contest that. And political watchers are divided about whether separation — previously a fringe sentiment — will now be a prominent, permanent feature of Alberta’s political landscape, as in Quebec. Julian Castro-Rea, a political-science professor at the University of Alberta who studies the separation debates in Quebec and Alberta, believes as long as Alberta feels alienated from the Canadian capital — feeling that Ottawa benefits from Alberta’s resource economy without giving back — the movement will have fuel. “Even if the referendum is lost, the westernization will still be around, because it’s kind of a way which, traditionally, Albertans have related to the rest of Canada,” says Castro-Rea, who believes western alienation may remain indefinitely. Story continues below advertisement

It’s no secret the long-held Canadian consensus on immigration has fractured — pulled apart by a rapid increase in new arrivals post-pandemic and growing affordability challenges. Now, that fracture is starting to show up at the ballot box. The Parti Québécois won a minority mandate in Quebec on a platform that included promises of tighter immigration controls, which the party linked to protecting French culture and easing pressure on public services and housing. And when Albertans head to the polls Monday to vote on whether to hold a future referendum on separation from Canada, they’ll also be answering five separate questions on immigration being pushed by the government of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Those questions include:— Should the province should have more say over economic immigration?— Should provincially funded services should be restricted to citizens, permanent residents and those with “Alberta-approved” immigration status? Story continues below advertisement